Teen Mental Health During Treatment
“My teenage daughter has been staying in the hospital for several months for chemo. It’s been really tough on her and I’m unsure how to make things better.”
One of the things I like to share about Child Life Specialists is that we’re similar to Social Workers but our first priority is the child or teen rather than the parent. I say that because, like Social Workers, we’re providing consistent check-ins with our patients throughout their inpatient hospital stays. Sometimes these check-ins have a clinical focus like, “what did you learn from the medical team today?” or they’re more social. I find that these social visits are just as important as the clinical ones because it allows us as Specialists to assess how the patient is coping. And unfortunately, there are often high’s and lows when it comes to any patient’s mental health during treatment. A patient’s mental health is always as important as their physical health so let’s dive into ways to improve teen mental health.
Finding a Routine
One of my first recommendations in helping teens through long admissions is ensuring they still have a routine. Due to their wake hours varying with nurses coming into the room at all hours and medical teams rounding in the early AM, many teens will try to sleep the day away. I recognize that there will be times when teens don’t feel well, but there is research to suggest that lying in bed day after day and oversleeping can have negative effects on teen mental health. Moreover, oversleeping can be a common symptom of depression for teens.
Despite the change in environment, a teen’s routine can still be very similar to the one they have at home. Make sure to include your son or daughter in the routine or schedule but it should include:
Time out of bed
Time for exercise (or physical therapy)
Time spent doing homework or stimulating the mind in some way
Dedicated time for a recreational activity other than TV; This could be an art activity, creating something on the iPad, listening/creating music, doing a puzzle, etc.
Privacy & Independence
Every teen needs time to themselves and that is now more than ever. I don’t say that because they’re going through a lot in terms of treatment but even more so because of the particular stage of development they are in. During the teen years, teens are trying to establish who they are as an individual. According to Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory, they are in a phase of identity exploration, having a desire for more independence and time with friends. You may notice they are even exploring different hairstyles and clothes to see “what fits.” As you can imagine, some of these things are hard to attain when hospitalized. Therefore, it’s very important we find ways to promote them as best we can. With increased privacy and independence, teen mental health and sense of self is more protected.
Try These Options:
Advocate for 1:1 time
Undoubtedly, there are so many team members assigned to 1 patient. There are physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, nurses, a social worker, child life specialist, and more. With that being said, everyone has their own schedule so they all drop in at various times throughout the day. This influx of people all the time can be a lot on teen mental health so it is advised that you talk to your bedside nurse about designating some alone time. Also, ask your teen what time of day they prefer to have this privacy time. Maybe they prefer it to be in the afternoon after their friends are out of school or in the evening so they can watch a favorite show. Regardless, look to your child for guidance and always offer to leave their space during that time so you can show you respect their need for privacy.
2. Leave the Room & Utilize Your Resources
I know this can be tricky to talk your teen into getting out of the room but I promise, they will grow to like it! Or, maybe even look forward to it!
Every hospital has different policies on patients leaving their rooms but if this is an option, explore the hospital a bit. Maybe it’s taking a trip to the cafeteria or exploring one of the recreational space. Despite many teens telling me that they’re not interested in going to a “teen room” or a designated teen space, I always encouraged them to check it out. Because it was often spacious, rarely crowded, and had plenty of things to do (i.e. video game consoles, art supplies, iPads, big TV’s, etc.). Most importantly, these kinds of spaces are specifically designed to not look like a medical space so patients can feel like they aren’t in a hospital for once. It’s often a space where medical conversations and/or treatment of any kind is prohibited (unless absolutely necessary) so it allows teens to feel more like themselves and less like a patient. As a result, it gives them a break from everything which is great for teen mental health.