Introduction. Communal support is a problem faced by families of children suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Aim. The purpose of this work was to analyse communal support for families with children suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Materials and methods. 100 parents of children suffering from JIA took part in the research. Research was carried out in a ward of the developmental clinic and policlinic at the Institute of Rheumatology. An analysis of the statistical results was done using the statistic package PQStat version 1.4.2.324. The correlations between variables were analysed by estimating Spearman’s and Tau Kendall’s coefficient rank correlations. Results. The nalysis of the carried research shows that most of the respondents do not receive enough financial, substantive or communal support. The closest family members are the best source of support for the respondents. They give support during the most difficult moments relating to the child’s illness. Conclusions. Bringing up a child suffering from JIA has the fundamental influence on everyday life activities and social relationships. The most satisfying is the support of the closest family members. Religious and community support, as well as the neighbours’ support, is not available. The fact that psychologists’ group was not the mostly ticked option as the group providing the necessary support is very worrying. The longer the time of the child’s illness, the lower the evaluation of the support of the closest family members.

Key words: communal support, family, juvenile idiopathic arthritis.