Systematic Review on Family Functioning in Families of Children With Rare Diseases

The present study is a systematic review of the research on family functioning in families who have a child with a rar e disease. The research was carried out using the databases Pubmed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar, following PRISMA guidelines. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria t o the 460 articles initially found, a total of 49 articles made up the final sample. The following topics regarding family functioning wer e identified: impact of diagnosis; caregiver's role and responsibilities; family functioning; impact on the emotional sphere; effects on marital and social life; coping strategies; family, and care and health system. The results of this study may provide justification for considering factors associated with family functioning when diagnosing a rare disease and deciding on treatment.