ANXIETY MANAGEMENT
Five Valuable Tips to Help Anxious Children Cope with Healthcare Procedures
By Dr. Priti P. Desai, PhD, MPH, CCLS AROUND THE GLOBE TODAY, INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADOLESCENTS FACE A VARIETY OF STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. WHEN RELATED TO HEALTHCARE, THESE EXPERIENCES CAN OFTEN LEAD TO FEELINGS OF FEAR, CONFUSION, AND ISOLATION AND CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. FOR PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, THESE SITUATIONS CAN BE EQUALLY CHALLENGING TO MANAGE. CHILDREN ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE WHEN THEY DO NOT RECEIVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION AND REASSURANCE, AND PARENTS OR OTHER RESPONSIBLE ADULTS MAY FEEL UNSURE OF THEIR ABILITY TO HELP CHILDREN SUCCESSFULLY UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE THESE EXPERIENCES.
T
he role of a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is to help children and their families ease the anxiety and stress that often accompany illness, injury, and hospitalization and help them to clearly understand their diagnosis and relevant medical or surgical treatment. A CCLS’s goal is to help normalize the healthcare environment and build confidence in children and their families to manage their healthcare experience. As a CCLS with the global surgical nonprofit Operation Smile, I have been given the opportunity to help families around
the world. Operation Smile provides free reconstructive cleft surgery and related care to individuals in areas of the world where it is needed most. Operation Smile leans on the help of volunteer child life specialists and other psychosocial care providers to help patients and their families navigate through their medical journey, which can often be emotionally overwhelming. Child life specialists are certified professionals who provide psychosocial care by building trusting relationships, normalizing the environment through play and activities while educating patients and their families about the entire healthcare experience.
Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 51
