Family perspectives on childhood physical illness - part one

In the first of this two-part podcast series, Emerging Minds Child and Family Partners Kimberley, Brad and Bec share how they manage their children’s social and emotional wellbeing while dealing with the challenges of chronic physical illness. They describe some of the ways that practitioners have been able to support their children’s mental health throughout the treatment process, and how these strategies have also helped them to support their child. Managing ongoing symptoms of chronic physical illness and undergoing medical treatment or procedures can have significant impacts for children and families. Promoting self-care strategies for parents and caregivers will lead to improved wellbeing outcomes for the children they are caring for. We would like to acknowledge and thank our child and family partners, Kimberley, Bec and Brad for taking the time to share their hard-earned wisdom and expertise with us. In this episode you will learn:

• more about the chronic physical illnesses experienced within these families [01:36]
• how a diagnosis of chronic physical illness impacts on the child and family [04:22]
• the impacts of managing ongoing symptoms and undergoing medical treatment/procedures [06:29]
• how self-care is important for parents and caregivers of children experiencing a chronic physical illness [16:06]

Further information and resources: Family perspectives on childhood physical illness - part two Understanding child mental health and chronic physical conditions e-learning course Childhood physical conditions and mental health fact sheets