Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health

Chronic conditions such as juvenile arthritis can put additional stress on a young person that can impact mental wellness. While it’s important to help your child manage their physical health with arthritis, it’s also important to learn skills and strategies to support your child’s mental health. This resource provides an overview of the different kinds of programs and resources often recommended for children with arthritis - from online supports that address everyday concerns, to programs your clinic team may suggest for more personalized care. 

In every case, a great place to start is to include discussions about mental wellness when your child visits their pediatric rheumatology team. Getting in the habit of sharing any concerns or questions that you or your child may be facing can help catch any potential issues early on and equip your whole family with new skills and ideas you can use right away. 

This resource was developed by Ester Chow in collaboration with Cassie + Friends 

The information was reviewed in October 2021 with expert advice from: 

Jennifer Wilson
Executive Director
Cassie + Friends 

Lori Tucker, MD, FRCPC 
Division Head,  Division of Rheumatology 
Clinical Professor in Pediatrics 
BC Children’s Hospital 
Department of Pediatrics,  UBC

Danielle Ruskin, PhD, CPsych 
Clinical and Health Psychologist 
Chronic Pain Clinic  
Dept. of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and Dept. of Psychology 
Hospital for Sick Children