Addressing the Emotional Toll of Pediatric Chronic Conditions

Hospitals, Doctor Groups Begin Responding to Parents’ Call for Improved Support

Be it autism, sickle cell or other life-disrupting health conditions, being the parent of a child with a chronic condition takes a psychological toll. For too many families, however, emotional and behavioral health support has been far too difficult to obtain.

Now, a project led by experts at Cincinnati Children’s reports on the progress made since 2017, when the American Board of Pediatrics Foundation launched its “Roadmap Initiative” to increase resilience and emotional health within families of children with chronic conditions. The report, published today in Pediatrics, was co-written by parents living through this experience. It also provides a set of tools that any pediatrician can use to improve how they communicate with families about emotional well-being.