Consulting the 'experts': children's and parents' perceptions of psycho-educational interventions in the context of juvenile chronic arthritis

There is little documented information regarding current provision of psych e-educational interventions in the context of juvenile chronic arthritis (J CA), The purpose of the present exploratory study was to gain insight and u nderstanding of the needs and preferences of children with JCA and their pa rents, and to examine how these mag be more adequately addressed by future psyche-educational interventions, Data were collected through focus group d iscussions with children, parents and health professionals, respectively, R esults showed that the voices of children and their parents were as one in calling for greater availability, easier access and more comprehensive psyc he-educational interventions in the context of JCA, Greater emphasis is nee ded upon the social and emotional aspects of chronic disease, and enhancing the self-management skills of children and their families. Moreover, conte nt should be tailored to match broad categories of disease severity (e.g. m ild or severe), developmental age and stage in the life course (e.g. child or adolescent), Group education, informal support groups, activity weekends and summer camps would be particularly welcomed by parents and children, a nd may serve to reduce their sense of isolation whilst providing much neede d reassurance, Findings provide a useful set of signposts to guide future d evelopment of psyche-educational interventions in the field of psychosocial paediatric rheumatology.