Background: Celiac disease requires appropriate management and support, both medically and psychologically. This is especially important for adolescents, who may benefit from relevant peer interactions. Objective: This study evaluated the effects of interactive peer support on quality of life, friendship relations, and coping levels among…

Chronic illness diagnoses frequently cause the shattering of personal assumptions about the self and the world, resulting in an experience of alienation and fragmentation of identity. Multiple studies on the effects of expressive writing have demonstrated physical, emotional, and psychological health benefits, yet little is known about how it…

Asthma is the most common chronic condition in children under 18. In Alabama, 11% of children report a diagnosis of asthma compared to the United States with 9.5%. Childhood asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic disease, and Alabama children with asthma miss approximately 10 days of school each year for uncontrolled…

Children with chronic conditions (i.e., asthma) are more likely to have anxiety or depressive symptoms. Comorbid asthma and anxiety in children leads to increased morbidity, causing children to miss instructional time and parent/caregiver (CG) work absences. Asthma educational programs and mental health interventions have been developed, though no…

Children with complex congenital heart defects often show delays and deficits in cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional functioning. As such, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Associated recommend ongoing monitoring and support of development. In conjunction with the formal therapeutic supports frequently…

Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease is on the rise. School psychologists must understand the significant physical, emotional, and psychological effects of this condition to be effective advocates for students and their families, and to conduct well-informed, comprehensive evaluations for this population. This article discusses the academic,…

Portrait therapy entails an art therapist co-creating portraits of patients diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses and exhibiting it in a museum art gallery. A description of portrait therapy practice draws on the portraits, collages, and prose poems of two patients, along with feedback from exhibition visitors and patients' families. For…

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder affecting approximately 1 in every 365 African American births. Students with SCD are likely to experience ongoing complications that will interfere with their attendance, functioning at school, and overall daily functioning throughout their lives. This article provides education about SCD…

Objective: Increasing numbers of young people live with a chronic health condition. Much research to date has explored young people's self-management of their illness and related symptomatology. Relatively less is known about how young people manage their long-term condition in everyday social contexts. This paper reports on findings from a…

Living with a chronic health condition in the home can have a debilitating effect on the psychosocial and psychoaffective wellbeing of the entire family. This is particularly the case for healthy school aged siblings. This research investigated the perceptions and experiences of at-school support for well-siblings to evaluate its effectiveness in…

The number of children and adolescents diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) is on the rise, increasing the importance of understanding how to support college students living with the disease. Based on the results of two studies, this paper aims to identify challenges facing college students with MS, as well as possible resources and strategies…

Objective: This study examines people's experiences of how to live with a chronic disease, their learning needs and their reasons for participating in a health education programme. The aim of the study was to examine if and how a Sense of Coherence (SOC) might guide an understanding of learning processes in health education. Methods: This study…

Each year, 11.8 million adolescents in the United States cope with a chronic condition (CC), yet much of the research about these youth has been framed from a deficit perspective. The author developed and validated a measure of Positive Youth Development (PYD) for use with adolescents with CCs to address their unique circumstances. Expert ratings…

Background: The aims of this study were to (1) examine the reactions of teachers and student teachers to children experiencing pain, (2) identify the most common challenges and potential resources that are associated to dealing with them, and (3) examine whether their responses differed as a function of their experience or sex. Methods: Forty…

Background: We investigated predictors of self-efficacy to cope with stress in diverse populations with stressful life experiences. We also examined the association between predictors of coping self-efficacy and the different copying strategies adapted by study participants. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship…