Aim
To extend psycho-social care to this vulnerable population with the aim of improving their self-perception and self-acceptance post-burn injury, and encouraging them to have goals and hopes for themselves despite their visible scarring. It will bring children together who face similar psych-social challenges away from the sterile clinical environment.
Outcomes
Well-designed outdoor adventure interventions can support and expand hospital and community-based psychosocial interventions for young people with health conditions.
Based on the success of the 2020 ‘Striving Deadly’ program, the Children’s Hospital Foundation have secured funding for FY21/22. The impact of COVID-19 in late 2021 has resulted in the next Striving Deadly being planned for early-mid 2022, with extension to include young people with other traumatic injuries. The partnership with SEQ providers has built in contingencies for expanding the capacity of local providers as partners in North Queensland, to assist with the delivery of the outdoor experiences and build sustainability for the program.
Background
Research indicates that young people with burns are at an increased risk of manifesting negative life trajectories during adolescence. This has the potential to impact on many aspects of their life including long-term psychological well-being, engagement in education and career and even social contributions.
A proportion of children who sustain burn injuries will experience long term impacts on their emotional well-being, self-esteem, and willingness to engage with social interactions or maintain social connectivity.
Care for young people post burn injury is often focussed on the physical manifestations of the injury. Support for long term psycho-social consequences is often provided at community-based services. Those services are often difficult to access in indigenous communities and rural and remote locations.
Striving Deadly provides an opportunity to consider psychological impacts in a community-based environment through engagement in outdoor adventure alongside their peers.
