The marginalization of chronically ill adolescents

Chronic illness during adolescence adds a dimension to a developmental stage that already has the potential to be tumultuous. Consequences of marginalization that predispose well adolescents to risk behaviors such as low self-worth and feelings of isolation are compounded in the chronically ill. In the author's proposed model, it is essential that nurses promote strategies that empower chronically ill adolescents. Care should be community-based and have an integrated multidisciplinary approach involving nursing, medicine, allied health care providers, and, (very importantly) the social networks of the adolescent [38,39]. For optimal health outcomes, we must begin to empower the chronically ill to meet their developmental need both within their social and medical contexts.