Family Functioning in Households with a Member Affected by Severe COVID-19 Illness

Abstract

Objetive. To identify family functioning in families where one member experienced severe COVID-19 illness. Method. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in families of patients who experienced a paranormative crisis due to severe COVID-19 illness, managed with mechanical ventilation. A total of 50 families were studied. Family functioning was assessed based on the Circumplex Model of Olson, Russell, and Sprenkle, which identifies three categories: family functioning (flexibly connected, flexibly related, structurally connected, structurally related), moderate dysfunction (chaotically connected, chaotically related, flexibly disconnected, structurally disconnected, rigidly connected, rigidly related, flexibly enmeshed, structurally enmeshed), and severe dysfunction (chaotically disconnected, rigidly disconnected, chaotically enmeshed, rigidly enmeshed). The statistical analysis plan included averages, confidence intervals for averages, percentages, and confidence intervals for percentages. Results. When analyzing family dynamics through cohesion and adaptability measures, the most prevalent categories were chaotically related and flexibly related, both at 22.0% (95% CI; 10.5–33.5). Among patients with severe COVID-19 illness, family functioning was observed in 54.0% of families (95% CI; 40.2–67.8). Conclusion. In families that experienced a paranormative crisis, specifically severe COVID-19 illness, family functioning predominated in more than half of the cases in this study.