Participation in Everyday Life for Children and Young People with Long Term Health Conditions; Influences on Participation, Assessment, Intervention and Evaluation

About this Research Topic

Background

Having a long term health condition as a child or young person (0-21 yrs) influences participation in everyday life activities. Participation affects the child’s health, as health is related to performing activities and participating in everyday life in supportive environments. Participation, defined as involvement in life situations, has two dimensions; attending/being there (physical/virtual) and involvement (engagement/sense of belonging) if being there. Prior research has shown that participation is multi determined and thus assessment and intervention has to be multidimensional. Traditionally, pediatric rehabilitation has focused on training/teaching skills as a means to increase participation. Recent research has shown that training skills do not automatically lead to increased participation but participation in itself has to be targeted. A focus on participation requires a shift in how professionals work in collaboration with children/young people and care providers throughout the whole intervention process from assessment to evaluation of outcomes.

This special issue intends to add to the body of knowledge through receiving high-quality multi-disciplinary research that contributes to increased knowledge around:

1) Impact of illness and secondary conditions on participation in everyday life for children and young people diagnosed with a long term health condition

2) Instruments and routines for involving children and young people in the assessment

3) Participation of children and young people in the intervention process from defining the participation problem and assessment of participation, setting goals, designing and implementing intervention methods, evaluating effects and dissemination

4) Effective interventions to improve participation in everyday life for children and young people diagnosed with a long term health condition

5) Implementing research aimed to enhance participation interventions in everyday life for children and young people with long term health conditions.


We are specifically interested in research (qualitative, quantitative, reviews, conceptual, interventions or implementation studies) addressing the following topics:

* Participation in everyday life regarding home, school and/or community, and during hospital care for children and young people diagnosed with a long term health condition and influences on participation

* Examining how wellbeing (emotionally, psychologically, and socially) of children and young people with long term health condition is related to participation

* Self rating instruments for assessing participation in everyday activities

* Development and evaluation of intervention strategies

* Evaluation of outcomes of interventions aimed at increasing participation

Keywords: Participation, everyday life, mental health, long term health condition, child, adolescent, young people, health, wellbeing, development

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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