{"id":1611,"date":"2019-03-31T19:00:18","date_gmt":"2019-03-31T19:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/ebn\/?p=1611"},"modified":"2019-03-22T14:13:02","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T14:13:02","slug":"a-double-burden-managing-long-term-conditions-and-psychological-distress-in-young-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/ebn\/2019\/03\/31\/a-double-burden-managing-long-term-conditions-and-psychological-distress-in-young-people\/","title":{"rendered":"A double burden: Managing long-term conditions and psychological distress in young people"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s EBN Twitter Chat on Weds 3rd<\/sup> April between 8-9 pm (UK time) will be led by Dr Abbie Jordan (@drabbiejordan)\u00a0and Sharon Bateman (@BatemanSharon) from the University of Bath. The chat will focus on psychological distress in young people with long-term conditions. \u00a0This Blog provides some context for the Chat. To join in the Chat add #ebnjc to your tweets.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Dr Abbie Jordan. Dept of Psychology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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A recently published report by the Nuffield Foundation highlighted that whilst adolescents and young adults comprise one-fifth of the UK\u2019s population, rates of long-term health conditions in young people are particularly high in this age group (Shah, Hagell, & Cheung, 2019).\u00a0 In fact, figures showed that, when compared with 15 similar countries, rates of long-term health conditions in young people in the UK were the third highest.\u00a0 The long-term health conditions that young people experience are varied and can include juvenile arthritis, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, asthma, non-malignant chronic pain in addition to other conditions.<\/p>\n

As expected, managing a long-term health condition can be demanding for young people, yet these young people (and their families) often experience additional challenges.\u00a0 Specifically, research has shown that young people who live with a long-term health condition also report high levels of physical disability (Pinquart & Teubert, 2012), difficulties with establishing and maintaining friendships (Jordan, Family, & Forgeron, 2017) and increased levels of psychological distress (Caes, Orchard, & Christie, 2017). For many, the experience of psychological distress is particularly challenging.\u00a0 Understandably, managing psychological distress is an important focus for young people.\u00a0 A recent report from a consultation event with young people about proposed content for the NHS long-term plan showed that 25% of young people requested improved youth focused mental health services to provide every day \u00a0crisis support (RCPCH, 2019).<\/p>\n

Through this Twitter chat, we aim to explore some of the challenges that are faced by young people who live with long-term health conditions in terms of their comorbid experience of psychological distress and how we might address these challenges.\u00a0 We are especially keen to hear all perspectives and hope to engage with young people and their families, clinicians and researchers.<\/p>\n

During the chat we will be considering the following questions:<\/p>\n