Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD), known as one of the psychosomatic disorders, is a chronic skin disease challenging to the mother-child relationship and affecting the socio-emotional development of young children. This study aimed to elaborate the ...
Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD), known as one of the psychosomatic disorders, is a chronic skin disease challenging to the mother-child relationship and affecting the socio-emotional development of young children. This study aimed to elaborate the unique patterns of mothers`` attachment behavior in relation their children suffering from atopic dermatitis. Methods: Using Q-methodology, the final 50 Qstatements were obtained from the in-depth interviews with the mothers of children with atopic dermatitis; 25 P-samples did the Q-sorting. The PQ method was used for analyzing Q-sort data. Results: Five distinctive types of maternal attachment behavior with their children having atopic dermatitis were obtained: I. Sensitive Affectionate, II. Attentive Concerned, III. Burdened Reactive, IV. Self-assured Responsive, and V. Distant Engaged. These types demonstrate that mothers of children having atopic dermatitis seemingly hold complex and contradictory attachment behaviors toward their children. The derived types were expanded and discussed in terms of both ``Mother``s Attribution to Child Personality`` and ``Devotion to the Atopic Dermatitis Condition``, which delineate the unique and/or shared common themes across five types. Conclusions: We obtained the various type of maternal attachment relationship with their children having atopic dermatitis depending on mothers`` attribution to personality of their children and their devotion to their child``s AD conditions. In caring for families of young children suffering with atopic dermatitis, the delineation of mothers`` attachment behavior with their child based on the five types derived would be beneficial for the health care provider to build an individualized care not only to enhance children``s physical condition but to endorse the secure mother-child relationship, subsequently improve children``s health.