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Dr Celia Chan Hoi-yan, Assistant Professor, HKU Department of Social Work and Social Administration, highlights the psychosocial needs of families affected by eczema and announces the program launch

In this light, as initiated by the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and collaborated by the Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA) and The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (HKSR), a waitlist controlled study on the efficacy of psychosocial intervention program for parents and children with eczema will be conducted. The program, “Seeing the Invisible”, is the first non-pharmaceutical intervention program, adopting parallel group modality, which aims to promote awareness and enhance the holistic well-being for parents and enhance the self-esteem, emotional coping and resilience of children in dealing with eczema, as well as facilitate better parent-child relationship in spite of their eczema experience.

The program is now open for applications until June 30. The target participants are children studying P1 to 6 who have been diagnosed of eczema and one of their parents. (Please click here for the program details)(Online application: https://goo.gl/forms/ngv9JtJkJ4hSQFWB3)

In a pilot study conducted in 2016 with 27 pairs of parent-child dyad, results demonstrated that significant improvement in psychological and spiritual well-being of parents was found. Significant improvements in Leisure and Treatment Domain of the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index were also found among children participants, indicating that the children’s leisure and treatment aspects were less being affected after the group intervention (table 1 and 2).

Dr Johnny Chan Chun-yin, Hong Kong Sanatorium & hospital Director, Dermatology, Specialist in Dermatology & Venereology and Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, HKU, talks about the prevalence, prognosis and long-term impact of childhood eczema

The disease impact to children is long-term and multi-dimensional, associated psychosocial needs are inadvertently understated

• Extensive research showed that the adverse effect of eczema in the children’s quality of life, including sleep disturbances from the itching and soreness, daytime tiredness, social stigmatization, diminished self-esteem, emotional distress, irritability and mood disturbance. Few suicidal cases involving patients suffering from long-term eczema patients had been reported in recent years, raising public concern over the disabling impacts of the disease.
• At school, children with eczema frequently experience others’ criticisms about their physical appearance, social isolation, social bullying, which may lead to loss of confidence, mood changes and depression. For younger children who have difficulties in expressing their needs and frustrations, they might display temper tantrums and meltdowns which further distant themselves from peers or become bullied. Lack of satisfying peers and family relation often continues affecting their interpersonal relationship and social functioning until adulthood.
• Drawings from children with eczema revealed that they were emotionally and socially disturbed by their physical appearance. They might experience lower self-esteem, social isolation, social bullying and social discrimination.