Where can kids turn for resources to help cope with chronic pain or other adversity?  I came across an interesting website, Help Me Cope!, and asked Dr. Taylor to tell us more about a quiz he’s developed to help kids communicate what they need to cope.

Dr. Taylor:  I want to thank How to Cope with Pain for inviting me to tell you about a quiz for kids.  The quiz is designed to enable kids to tell parents or professionals what they need to cope with difficult situations.  Though the items don’t focus specifically on families struggling with chronic pain, the quiz might be useful in this situation.  Readers in the helping professions may also find the quiz useful for youth in their practices.

HELP ME COPE!
A Quiz That Helps Youth Tell Parents or Professionals What They Need

1. What Will The Quiz Do For My Family or Client?
Even young people from strong families sometimes surprise parents with news of struggles going on under the surface. This quiz helps a child from about 10 to 21 years of age to tell parents or professionals some of the things the youth needs in order to cope better with stress.

Some of the quiz items ask about the family.  Other items refer to teachers, friends, or to the student’s own feelings.  Kids can answer all 38 items, or they can select those they feel are most important.  Their parent, guardian, or another trusted adult discusses their answers with them.  Their answers will highlight areas where they’re already receiving enough support, as well as situations where they could use more.

An “Ideas” section after each item contains suggestions the child and adult might try, if the youth needs more support in an area.  Also included is a guide that might be useful in talking further about stress and coping.

2. Resilience: The Main Focus of the Quiz
Help Me Cope! could help foster resilience in a family.  Resilience means being able to cope with stress, and to continue with one’s usual activities, or to adjust to a lesser level of activity.  The last section presents a list of over 100 stressful situations, and explores how many times resilience comes into play.

The readers of How to Cope with Pain know the many challenges to resilience for those coping with chronic pain.  Many of you have had to help family and friends understand your condition.  Help Me Cope! might raise your awareness of strengths you and your family already have, and those you can further develop.

3. My Background
I’m a child and adolescent psychiatrist who retired in 2000.  I’ve consulted with medical personnel and families regarding youth with chronic pain, on a pediatric intensive care unit and elsewhere.  I have coped with chronic physical conditions of my own, but those ailments were not accompanied by chronic pain.  I also have a blog, How People Cope.

I hope that this quiz and its resources might help you to cope with pain.  I’ll be interested in any feedback or thoughts on it in your comments below.

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