Discuss the impact of chronic medical conditions on adolescents (12-18 years) and identify ways of promoting resilience or positive development.
Introduction
Many adolescents live out their daily life suffering from a chronic illness. This can be both physical and mental. Chronic illness can become an emotional burden on an adolescent’s life, which can lead to negative impacts on an individual’s psychosocial and cognitive development before they reach early adulthood. An adolescent is a person from the age of 12-18 years old. Chronic illnesses within an individual between 12-18 years old can have negative impact on the psychosocial wellbeing. This paper will analyze the social, psychological, psychosocial, and cognitive growth influences of chronic illness in adolescents.
Adolescents who have a chronic illness can be more acceptable to having lower self-esteem, self-concept, and body image issues. An adolescent’s psychosocial concepts of himself or herself are still developing. REFER JNR1 defines self concept as a fundamental part of a child’s psychological function’. In addition, Erik Erikson a development physiologist developed stage theory that is a study of personality development defined that people evolve through eight stages of their life span (TEXT BOOK)
Each of the eight stages of his personality theory asks a question which is based on a psychosocial crisis. Adolescent is stage five of the lifespan. Erikson called this; Identity versus confusion the psychosocial crisis question that is being asked is “who am I, and where am I going? Erikson acknowledges that adolescents are vulnerable as they are not yet certain who they are, and what they stand for. Their identity and self worth can be questioned.
In addition chronic illness as an adolescent can affect their psychosocial and consequently an adolescent with a chronic illness can be more likely to show lower levels of self-esteem. (Journal 4) Found that those with disabilities can find it hard as physical acceptance and peer rejection can effective there self esteem due to physical abnormalities. (Journal 3) proposes that children with chronic illness may feel different from peers and experience peer rejection, which may have detrimental effects on their self-concept. Self-concept is essential as it gives the person a sense of worth a sense of purpose. “Physical appearance has been identified with as the single most important factor for global self worth in adolescent’. (JOURNAL ART1 PGE?) WHAT IS A CHRONIC ILLNESS?
Most adolescents experience different health problems in their adolescence period. Most adolescents experience mild health problems that come and go. These mild diseases do not have a severe impact on the daily life of an adolescent and their development. However, some children experience some chronic health problems that affect their daily life (UOM, 2013).
A chronic disease is a disease that lasts a period of about three months and affects the normal activities of a person. Chronic diseases usually require a lot of hospitalizations, and extensive medical care. Examples of chronic disease are asthma, cerebral palsy, sickle cell anemia, epilepsy and congenital heart problems. Even though chronic ailments are different in their manifestations, Adolescents with chronic ailments have many things in common. The process of living with a chronic ailment is always challenging to an adolescent, family and friends (UOM, 2013).
The effect of chronic diseases on psychosocial development in adolescents
Chronic illness in adolescents can create psychosocial problems within adolescents (Journal 4) found that behavior problems can be a symptom of lower self esteem due poor psychosocial adolescent with a chronic illness may interfere with the developmental tasks of adolescents by making them more vulnerable to psychological and social problems. (Journal 5).
The effect of chronic disease on the growth and puberty in adolescents
A delay in growth and onset of puberty is a common occurrence in adolescents with chronic illnesses. Delayed growth is more common in adolescents in cases where there is malnutrition and chronic inflammation. The delay in growth in adolescents due to chronic illnesses can be transient with a later catch up period where adolescents attain normal adult height (Suris et al, 2004).
Permanent loss of growth can occur in some children with chronic illnesses. The biological, social and psychological development is highly interrelated and the delay in development of one aspect of development may affect the development of another. Delayed growth and puberty can result in low self-esteem And Difficulty while separating from parents due to immaturity. Age mates can also treat children with delayed growth differently (Suris et al, 2004).
Effect of chronic illnesses on psychosocial development
Adolescents with chronic ailments are more likely to experience psychological adjustments problems compared to healthy people. They are also more likely to develop emotional problems, behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Adolescents with chronic ailments may have some difficulty adhering to the treatments protocols because of poor abstract thinking skills. Adherence to treatment may be affected because of lack of shared health goals and beliefs between the health professional, family and the child (Suris et al, 2004).
In terms of cognitive capacities, most chronic diseases do not affect neuronal maturational mechanisms that influence the development of abstract thinking capabilities. Some disease like sickle cell anemia and diabetes are known to cause permanent neural psychological effects in children and adolescents affecting the development of abstract thinking skills. Chronic illnesses are also more likely to cause problems in identity problems, self-image and ego. Poor Body image and poor sexual sense may also be caused by chronic illnesses that lead to distortion of physical body image (Suris et al, 2004)..
Effect of chronic illnesses on the Education and schooling of adolescents
The recurrent nature of many chronic illnesses and the demand of the treatment procedures make adolescents with chronic impairments t have school attendance problems. Poor attendance may impair their achievement of adolescents with chronic illnesses at school. This may affect their ability of attaining financial independence in the future. In most cases, there are conflicts regarding chronic requirements for treatment and schooling demands for adolescents with chronic diseases (Suris et al, 2004).
Impact of chronic illnesses on socialization processes
For adolescents, Peer relationship development and self-image issues can be in conflict with the demands of chronic illness treatment procedures. The extent to which chronic illness impair development of peer relationships is determined by how well a child or an adolescent balances the two competing priorities (Suris et al, 2004).
Non-compliance with treatments procedures
As adolescents with chronic illness grow, they always make an attempt of making their own decisions regarding disease management like decreasing medication intake or avoiding physician visits. . Self-consciousness issues and angry feelings towards their chronic ailments can influence compliance with medication and treatment. For example, children and adolescents suffering from diabetes can make poor food choices when they are in the company of their friends (CHP, 2013).
It is very essential for the family and health care professionals to develop some emotional healthy ways of helping children and adolescents cope and live with their chronic requirements (CHP, 2013).
Ways of promoting resilience or positive development in adolescents suffering from chronic ailments
- Family support
The family caring for the adolescent suffering from chronic ailment should give all the support a child needs. Family support can be offered through staying involved in the child activities, giving information to the adolescent, planning for procedures to help the child cope with anticipated stress of treatment especially for the procedures that may cause physical and psychological distress (UOM, 2013).
Children should also be given choices to perform the some tasks related to their disease management so that they can have control of the part of their lives they can be able to control. The whole family should be involved in giving extended support to the child or adolescent t so that they can have a sense of belonging (UOM, 2013).
- Supporting friendship and peer activities
Supporting close friendship and peer activities is also another way of enhancing adolescent’s ability of coping with their illness. It is very essential for the family and the community to keep adolescent suffering from chronic illnesses involved with activities with their peers and maintaining these connections. The loss and weakening of friendships can be a very devastating affair for adolescents with chronic illnesses (UOM, 2013).
Adolescents always have a need for belonging and peers are an important arena for them to feel like they belong. It is therefore very essential, for adolescents with chronic illnesses to be helped to find their activities and interests that provide an opportunity of connecting with their peers (UOM, 2013)
- Teaching coping skills
Adolescents with chromic illnesses should learn coping skills from health professionals and the family to cope with the unique challenges of their ailment. The family and health professional should always discuss with adolescents suffering from chronic ailment about how their illness affects them and find ways of solving these problems. Children can learn to build their copings strengths when they are helped and, can have pride in themselves when f overcoming their challenges (CHP, 2013).
- Coordination of schooling activities
When an adolescent suffering from chronic ailments is at school, the family should coordinate the schooling of the child with healthcare providers and the school management. Good coordination can ensure that the unique needs of the child are met and the risks unique to the child are avoided at school. The provision of adequate support at school can enhance the educational outcomes of adolescents suffering from chronic ailments (UOM, 2013).
References
Children’s hospital of Pittsburgh., (2013). Adolescent Medicine; Adolescent Mental Health ;Psychological Complications of Chronic Illness. Retrieved From
http://www.chp.edu/CHP/P01658
Suris, J. C. Michaud P.A., Viner, R. (2004). “The adolescents with a chronic
Condition. Part 1; developmental issues”. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2004; 89:938-942 doi:10.1136/adc.2003.045369
Conditions. Retrieved from http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/chronic.htm
