Faith development in school-age children with a critical illness: A theory of pilgrimming

The purpose of this study was to determine how faith is developing in 10 school-age children with HIV. A combined quantitative and qualitative design was utilized. The Protocol for Faith Development by James Fowler was used to determine faith stage. The questions from the Protocol were content analyzed, providing an existential understanding of the child's experience. The theories of Piaget, Kohlberg, Freud and Rizzuto were used to create themes.; Nearly every child in the study (90%) had at least one parent die. Eighty percent of the children scored at 2.5 or higher and 20% were over Stage Three. Three aspects of faith showed particular acceleration. The qualitative results revealed five themes.; A theory of Pilgrimming is introduced reflecting the child's unique experiences. The theory recognizes the idea of a Divine Substitution that grows out of loss. Pilgrimming theory and its clinical application is reviewed and further research is suggested.