Children and Psoriasis

Children who suffer from psoriasis often suffer from a wide range of physical and emotional pain. Psoriasis is uncomfortable and at times may even be painful. Emotionally, your child may be depressed, angry, and confused. On top of all of this, as a result of the condition, your child may have low self-esteem.

Supporting Your Child Who is Suffering from Psoriasis

The best ways you can help support your child is to help understand what is going on with his or her body:

• Reassure your child that psoriasis is not contagious. Other children may shy away from your child because they may think they will get the symptoms your child has. Let your child know that no one can “catch” psoriasis, so he or she can educate his or her peers.
• Let your child know that psoriasis runs in families. Many children may feel that they did something “bad” and it is their fault that they have this disease.
• Let your child know that they are not alone. There are approximately 7.5 million Americans who have psoriasis. There are even some famous people who learned to cope with their condition (see Famous People with Psoriasis).
• Be honest with your child. Let them know that there is no cure as of right now, but scientists are working hard to find a cure.
• Educate your child on the condition. Explain what they have and what the symptoms are.
• Also, educate your child about any medications they are taking. A child will not understand if you try to explain the chemical properties, but let them know the name of the medication they are taking and what it is for.
• Ask how your child is feeling, and validate the feelings they are experiencing.
• Inform your child’s teacher about your child’s condition. It is common for a child to want to “cover-up” any lesions they may have, so your child’s teacher may not even be aware of the situation.  Inform the teacher that physical activity may be painful. Also, the itching and pain may be a distraction for your child. For a fact sheet that you can print out and give to your child’s teacher visit Psoriasis Kids.