Archives of Disease in Childhood, Vol 77, 355-358, Copyright © 1997 by Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The adolescent with rheumatic disease
R Sathananthan and J David
Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust, Reading.
Adolescence is a period of emotional and physical upheaval and a time when
personal identity, need for independence, and peer relationships all
evolve. This transition from dependence to independence can be a difficult
process for healthy teenagers. Those with chronic illness and disability
have additional concerns, rendering them especially vulnerable as they
progress into adulthood.