REACTIONS TO HEALTH CHANGES
Every child reacts differently to health changes. It is important that the child is not an object, but a subject of medical care and receives age-appropriate information about what is happening and will happen during treatment and rehabilitation.
✅ Any experiences are a typical reaction to the situation in which the child finds himself or herself. To stabilize the child's psycho-emotional state, do not restrain his or her emotions and avoid phrases such as «Don't cry», «Calm down», etc.
✅ Some children feel anger or despair (why did this happen to me?), others feel anxiety because of physical differences and their impact on life and communication with peers or other family members.
✅ Due to restrictions or loss of ability to perform usual movements/actions, children become dependent on others for a certain period of time or permanently. This lowers their self-esteem and creates fear of the future.
✅ Overcoming fear, maintaining self-esteem, and coping with the loss of health are essential in the recovery process.
✅ Reactions to information about one's own health and injuries may vary. Take into account the age of the child.
Adapted from UNICEF Ukraine.
