'To me, he'��s still my brother' -�� the experience of having a brother or sister with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition

The purpose of the research was to explore the experiences of siblings who have a brother or sister with a life-limiting or a life-threatening condition. The aim was to uncover themes in their experiences to inform practice and ultimately, improve the support that is available for such siblings.
Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six participants who ranged between eight and 28 years of age. Transcripts from the interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in order to generate themes. Five superordinate themes emerged across all participants:
� The impact of having a brother or sister with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition on siblings as individuals.
� The impact of life-limiting or life-threatening conditions on how siblings view their brother or sister.
� The impact of having a brother or sister with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition on siblings� relationships within the family, friendship groups and school systems.
� Within-child and systemic factors that help siblings to feel supported.
� Within-child and systemic factors that cause siblings to feel that they lack support.
A sixth superordinate theme emerged from interviews with the four older participants:
� The impact of the passage of time on siblings� experiences.
Possible implications of the study are discussed including avenues for further research and recommendations for schools and the practice of Educational Psychologists (EPs).