Date of Award
Fall 12-18-2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Anthropology
First Advisor
Cassandra White
Second Advisor
Jennifer Patico
Third Advisor
Steven Black
Abstract
Parents who care for teens with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) engage in a variety of activities to guide, support, and advocate for their child. This study expands the illness narrative framework to look at the invisible and often untapped knowledge of the parent caregiver. POTS is a lesser-known disorder that can lead to disability in some cases. Due to its varied presentation, many youths can experience a delayed diagnosis and treatment, navigate multiple doctors, and deal with social and interpersonal systems that can disrupt their planned life path. Through language development and expectation alignment, the parent caregiver becomes a critical and necessary bridge builder to the medical system and social institutions that cannot fully address the complex wellbeing of teens with chronic illnesses.
Recommended Citation
Ross, Tami, "Chronic Care: Illness Narratives of Parents Caring for Teens with POTS." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2024.
https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/anthro_theses/196
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