Developing groups in a paediatric psychology service: Centring the voices of children and young people

Area of Science:

• Paediatric healthcare
• Psychosocial support
• Chronic illness management

Background:

• Growing evidence supports therapeutic groups for pediatric chronic health conditions.
• Paediatric health services utilize various group interventions.
• Narrative Therapy informs many existing group approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of developing and delivering group interventions.
• To center the voices of young people in group design and delivery.
• To illustrate the integration of participation methods in group work.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a Narrative Therapy approach.
• Integrating diverse methods of participation and involvement.
• Centering young people's voices in group development.
• Illustrating with three recently introduced groups.

Main Results:

• Successful development and delivery of responsive group interventions.
• Effective integration of youth participation in group processes.
• Demonstrated centering of young people's perspectives.

Conclusions:

• Therapeutic groups are beneficial for children with chronic health conditions.
• Integrating youth voices enhances group intervention relevance and effectiveness.
• A participatory approach ensures services meet evolving needs.