The Impact of Chronic Medical Conditions on Adolescents 12-18 Years - Term Paper Example

RUNNING HEAD: THЕ IMРАСT ОF СHRОNIС MЕDIСАL СОNDITIОNS ОN АDОLЕSСЕNTS (12-18 YEARS) Thе Imрасt of Сhrоniс Mеdiсаl Соnditiоns on Аdоlеsсеnts (12-18 Years) Name Institution Date Introduction A chronic medical condition is defined as impairment or a deviation from the normal that cannot be fully cured by medical means which requires periodic observation and supportive care so as to limit the consequence of the illness. All over the world, people of different ages are diagnosed with different chronic medical disorders including arthritis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, asthma, cardiovascular disorders, chronic pains, diabetes, cerebral palsy, hemophilia, epilepsy, cancer, respiratory disorders, sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy and renal kidney diseases. This goal of this paper is to investigate the impacts of chronic medical conditions in adolescents and discuss ways of promoting resilience in individuals suffering from chronic medical conditions. Impacts of chronic medical conditions on adolescents Adolescence is the most active stage of growth of an individual. It is a stage of accelerated growth and enhanced pubertal development with increased cognitive development. However, adolescents who suffer from chronic medical conditions experience major interruptions in their academic and social lives. Their individual development, quality of life and personal adjustment are adversely affected from the start in case of the development of a chronic medical condition of any nature. Carter et al (2013) argue that fatiguing illnesses are also classified as chronic medical conditions. They point out that the prevalence of these conditions increases with a rise in age and leads to functional disability as well as psychological distress. It also leads to maladaptive coping in addition to restriction in the amount and type of activities that the adolescents afflicted can take part in. Impaired sleep conditions is also a broad effect of chronic medical disabilities. According to Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, a child grows up in a preset order. Erikson focuses on how minors socialize and how these affects their self image. The onset of chronic medical conditions disrupts this set order. Ericson’s theory shows that children growing to puberty start developing pride in what they do. Cases of chronic medical conditions casts doubts on this development as the children affected do not believe they have performed as well as their peers or believe they are downright failures. Consistent illnesses therefore disrupt Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development (Cherry, 2013) Chronic medical conditions developed or diagnosed during the early stages of adolescence may cause the parent to be overprotective or in certain cases, the adolescent makes no effort to establish their independence from the parents. The adolescent may become very concerned about their body integrity and their body image. Neistein (2008) points out that the development of such concerns by the adolescent could cause further problems like eating disorders. A survey carried out in 1998 found out that eating disorders were twice as likely in adolescent boys afflicted with chronic medical conditions than in healthy adolescent boys. The surveys revealed that 1.6 of adolescent girls with chronic conditions were more likely to have eating disorders. In a report to the World Health Organization, Michaud et al (2007) points out that ego development and the self-image of adolescents suffering from chronic medical conditions may be affected in a generic fashion. He argues that adolescents suffering from chronic medical conditions are more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies than healthy adolescents. These would work against Erikson’s stages of development (Neinstein, 2008, p. 1058; Michaud, 2007, p 4). The cognitive capacities of adolescents may also be affected by the development of chronic medical conditions. This will go against Piaget’s stage theory of cognitive development which holds that children undergo cognitive development in their thoughts and activities as they grow up. Some chronic medical illnesses for example sickle cell anemia and diabetes may have a neuropsychological consequence which results due to the progression of the disease. This may also have an effect on the education life of the adolescent. Recurrent occurrences of chronic medical conditions may have a significant impact on the school attendance of the adolescent which may hinder substantial academic achievement. However, the prioritization of education may also lead to the negligence of treatment procedures for the condition (Michaud, 2007, p 4). Aguayo and Campo (2009) point out that those adolescents suffering from chronic medical conditions are highly likely to develop depressive disorders. They argue that the presence of physical disorders or fatiguing medical conditions may lead to an increased risk of depression or in some cases perpetuate depression. They give an example of diabetes as a chronic medical condition that is linked to a poor dietary and medication observance (Aguayo and Campo, 2009, p 295,296) A survey carried out in 2001 in the United States revealed that 12.8 % of individuals below 18 years suffered from chronic medical conditions. The survey also found out that chronic health conditions in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 afflicted about 15.8% and the conditions were higher in males than in females. Chronic respiratory tract disorders and asthma were among the most prevalent of these conditions. Neinstein (2008) agrees with Aguayo and Campo on the fact that mental health conditions like behavioral and emotional problems also make up part of chronic medical conditions. He points out that the continued interaction between chronic medical conditions and the different development stages of adolescence may have complex repercussions. The adolescent development stages may affect the illness but the illness may also affect the development stage (Neinstein, 2008, p82, 83). Some forms of chronic medical conditions like sickle cell anemia as well as cystic fibrosis, Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, diabetes mellitus and congenital heart diseases have been found to cause delayed puberty in adolescents. This leads to slow growth through the childhood period of the adolescents. This may finally lead to retarded growth, a longer period than usual for genital growth in boys. Girls are also affected by having the stage 1 of breast development beyond 13.4 years. They may also fail to menstruate after 16 years of age (Neinstein, 2008, 144; Lifshitz, 2007, 291; Dworkin and Algranati, 2008, 404) Sickle cell anemia is one of the most serious examples of chronic medical conditions. The condition causes the destruction of red blood cells. Normally, red blood cells have a lifespan of 120 days but the affliction of sickle cell anemia reduces their lifespan to between 10 and 20 days. This robs the body off its ability to carry adequate oxygen hence fatigue. Sickle cell anemia causes sporadic episodes of pain. A person suffering from sickle cell anemia feels pain when red blood cells that are sickle shaped pass through small blood vessels. The pain may also be felt in the bones and joints and in cases where intense busts of pain are experienced, hospitalization may be necessary. It can also lead to a reduction in the vision of an individual by plugging the blood vessels that transport blood to the eyes. This damages the retina hence a problem with the processing of images by the eye (Mayo clinic, 2011, pp. 1-6) Boyse et al (2012) highlight that that a chronic medical condition may have serious consequences on the psyche of an adolescent. They argue that even though these minors are fully capable of comprehending the nature of their condition, they cannot be expected to act like adults. Adolescents may feel sidelined or left out from certain activities due to their illness. If they miss school, they will feel disadvantaged. According to Boyse et al, parents who feel a need to protect their children suffering from chronic medical conditions should consider the mental health of the minor before doing so. They point out that overprotection will lead to interference of the minors freedoms and prevent his mastery of the general growth environment (Boyse et al, 2012, pp. 13) Chronic inflammatory disorders are also major chronic medical conditions with a highly adversarial effect on the life and development of an adolescent. Asthma is one such disorder. Asthma in adolescents causes recurrent cases of wheezing and breathlessness. Asthma causes chest contractions and tightness. Asthma has been found to cause cases of coughing in the morning and at night. Adolescents with asthma have a consistent problem of inflamed airways and often suffer from the tightening of the muscles around their air passageways. The extra mucus produced during this process may pose a problem to an individual. Adolescents with asthma cannot freely participate in strenuous physical activities. This is because some asthma symptoms are developed during exercises. Exercise induced asthma, also known as exercise induced bronchoconstriction therefore inhibits the freedom of participation in physical activities of an adolescent (Harver and Kotses, 2010, pg. 4) Arthritis is another chronic medical condition suffered by adolescents that cannot be left unmentioned. Arthritis is a disease that attacks the joints and progressively destroys their functioning capacity. The condition attacks all joints in the body and also the skin. Even though the condition is more common in adults, arthritis affects both children and grown-ups. It leads to joint stiffness in an individual due to inflammation of the joints. The swollen joints are usually hot and painful making the life of an adolescent harsh and uncomfortable (Stoppler, 2012, pp. 12-16; Waldron, 2012, pg. 35) With the many adversarial effects of chronic medical conditions, there is a need to find ways to develop resilience and positive development of the affected adolescents. Webb (2010) argues that family centered care hold the key to the amelioration of the painful impacts of chronic medical conditions in adolescents. This is in agreement with John Bowlby’s attachment theory that provides for a psychological connection between the adolescent and the other family members. She points out that the family is important as it will remain the only constant in an adolescent’s life. As some chronic medical conditions can lead to depression and mental illnesses, the family is helpful in maintaining the emotional wellbeing of the affected adolescent. Family centered care uses the strengths of the family to effect promote mental health and emotional support. The parents are encouraged to step up from being passive observers to take part in the recovery or encouragement of their children. She further suggests that a family well versed in stigma management and care coordination will promote resilience and hence development in an adolescent with a chronic medical condition. The parent is advised to be honest with the adolescent about the medical condition and their needs. Effective supportive communication is important in understanding and addressing the feelings and fears of the adolescent (Webb, 2010, pg. 49) Self-help techniques can also be taught to the adolescent patient. The adolescent suffering from any form of chronic medical condition can be trained a number of cognitive techniques that can help them cope with the stress and pain that arises due to the condition. The training will foster feelings of self-control hence will limit stress related to the disease or the treatment. The patient and family members may also be referred to support groups. Participation in support groups enables an increased communication of concerns and anxieties. This reduces the emotional load on the patient and the family due to the exchange of information with other individuals with similar problems. Inpatient care can also be undertaken in case the medical needs of the adolescent require so. In patient care is handled in such a way that the developmental needs of the patient are maintained or promoted. Drug treatment can be used in the alleviation of pain can be prescribed in conjunction with anti-depressant therapy. Conclusion Adolescents suffering from chronic medical conditions are influenced in all aspects of their lives by their specific condition. The educational performance of an adolescent is disrupted in addition to the social ramifications of these conditions. Adolescents with these conditions believe their body images suffer and this may lead to eating disorders in both boys and girls. Chronic medical conditions can further lead to depressive disorders if proper care is not taken. To promote resilience and positive development in adolescents suffering from chronic medical conditions, family centered care is highly recommended. Self help techniques may also be taught to the adolescent. Drug treatment, anti depressive therapy as well as support groups may also be considered. It can be conclusively argued that the life of an adolescent must not stop just because they suffer from a chronic medical condition, because with proper care and guidance, they may have an opportunity to live a normal enough life albeit with a few disruptions. References Aguayo, R. O. & Campo, J.V. (2009). Treating depression in children and adolescents with chronic physical illness in Treating Child and Adolescent Depression. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Boyse, K., Boujaoude, L. & Laundy, J. (2012). Children with Chronic Conditions. Michigan: university of Michigan. Available at Carter, B. D. et al. (2013). The Children’s Health & Illness Recovery Program (CHIRP): Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy in a Clinical Sample of Adolescents With Chronic Pain and Fatigue. Clinical Practicein Pediatric Psychology. Dworkin, P.H. & Algranati, P. S. (2008). NMS pediatrics. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Lifshitz, F. (2007). Pediatric Endocrinology. Florida: CRC Press Mayo clinic. (2011). Sickle cell anemia: symptoms. Available at Michaud, P. A., Suris, J. C. & Viner, R. (2007). The Adolescent with a Chronic Condition: Epidemiology, developmental issues and health care provision. Geneva: WHO press. Neinstein, L. S. (2008). Adolescent health care: a practical guide. Philadelphia: Lippincott. Williams & Wilkins Stoppler, M.C. (2012). Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Available at Waldron, N. (2012). Care and support of patients with psoriatic arthritis. Nursing Standard journal. 26 (52). 35-39. Webb, N. B. (2010). Helping Children and Adolescents with Chronic and Serious Medical Conditions: A Strengths-Based Approach. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Read More