Neuropsychological impact on mental health and associated treatments for children with chronic illness.

Abstract

A lthough there are variations, a chronic illness or condition generally includes the presence of a health or medical problem that lasts at least 3 months, requires ongoing medical care at some point, affects normal activities, and is associated with functional impairment of some kind (e.g., Thabrew, Stasiak, Garcia-Hoyos, & Merry, 2016). The prevalence of chronic illness is estimated to have increased over the past few decades (Brown, Daly, & Rickel, 2007;Halfon & Newacheck, 2010), with ranges from 10% to 35% of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition that interferes with daily living. According to a national survey, 14% of children under 18 years of age have a health problem treated with medication within the previous 3 months (National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS], 2012). Approximately 7% to 9% of children have a chronic illness severe enough to consistently interfere with their normal school or life activities (NCHS, 2012). Some of the more common chronic illnesses requiring medical intervention include asthma (