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Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong launched the “Seeing the Invisible” programme during the summer of 2017, the first psychosocial programme for children with eczema and their parent caregivers. The programme is conceived based on the integrative body-mind-spirit model, with the aim to enhance holistic well-being of children with eczema and their parents, as well as to facilitate better parent-child relationship.

Eczema is the most prevalent pediatric skin disease, affecting 15-20% of children worldwide and 30% of children in Hong Kong. More than 160,000 children (0 to 14 years old) in Hong Kong are currently suffering from this disease. Not only are physical symptoms such as itch and pain a problem, these children’s social relationships are often impaired and their self-confidence compromised due to mocking, ostracising, and even bullying. Parents of these children are also overwhelmed by daily caretaking, leading to increased feelings of anxiety and depression. The many difficulties and negative emotions experienced by these children and parents may impair the overall well-being and parent-child relationship in the long run.

Dr. Celia Chan, programme director of the “Seeing the Invisible” project, remarked: “Children at that age have not yet developed ways to express emotions effectively. The situation is certainly made worse if they also lack healthy peer relationships. These will go on to have long-term negative impact on the children’s interpersonal relationship and social functioning.”

Results from phase 1 and 2 of the “Seeing the Invisible” project showed that upon completion of the programme, children’s stress and physical discomfort had been effectively relieved while their self-confidence and emotional resilience enhanced. The programme also improved parents’ overall quality of life and awareness of the need for self-care, thereby fostering closer parent-child relationships.

Thanks to the enthusiastic support from the community over the past years, the University will be partnering with Christian Family Service Centre (CFSC) to deliver phase 3 of the “Seeing the Invisible” programme from July to December 2019. The programme aims to help children and parents to:

1) be aware of and learn self-help techniques that foster holistic well-being
2) effectively manage emotions
3) achieve growth and transformation in face of living with eczema

Parents and children will participate in six 3-hour parallel sessions respectively. Children and parents will receive consultation by a pediatrician and blood sample testing (to identify inflammatory markers such as IgE, IL1β, IL4, IL6, IL10, TGF-β1 and assess the severity of inflammation associated with eczema) before and after the programme. An individualised report will be given to families who successfully complete all group and assessment activities.

With generous donation from Kuenflower Management Inc. (in honour of Kwong Sik Kwan and Kwong Hui May Kuen) to the UBS Optimus Foundation, programme costs will be waived for participating low-income families (recipient of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or School Textbook Assistance (TA) Scheme). In case of oversubscription, priority will be given to low-income families with the remaining slots filled on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Project details:
Target: Children aged 6-11 with eczema and one parent caregiver
Date: Held on Saturdays from July to December 2019 (participants will be informed of the schedule later)
Format: Children group – Six 3-hour sessions (18 hours in total)
Parents group – Six 3-hour sessions (18 hours in total)
Language: Cantonese
Fee: All fee waived for families subsidised by Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA)
or School Textbook Assistance Scheme (TA)
HKD $6,000 for non-low income families

Online registration: https://goo.gl/forms/YPqpE0Mvxl30oRdw2
Programme details: https://learning.hku.hk/ibms/body-mind-spirit-workshop-for-children-with-eczema-and-caregivers-phase-3/

For enquiries, please contact Ms. So at 3917-5526 or gsyk@hku.hk.

Eczema’s long-lasting impact on children
Children with eczema face diverse physical and psychological challenges, such as disturbed sleep pattern, daytime tiredness, diminished self-esteem, irritable mood and social stigmatization, to name a few. Daytime tiredness is particularly associated with poor concentration and lower capacity in learning, which often take its toll on the child’s academic performance. The visibility of the condition leads children to develop a negative self-image, while making them susceptible to alienation and bullying. These and other challenges in social encounters cost them significant distress and impairment.

Caregiving stress leads to family conflicts
Parents of children with eczema also face various challenges in daily caretaking. Not only do parents spend great amount of time tending to the child’s skin condition, but they also need to alter the family lifestyle often, including changing dietary preferences and leisure activities. At the same time, as caregivers’ life become center around the child’s needs and the condition, they are more likely to feel helpless and hopeless, thus prone to depression and anxiety. These negative emotions create a hostile environment that induces conflicts and may hamper the parent-child relationship in the long run.

Professor Ellis Hon, pediatrician, commented: “Often, parents of children with eczema are heavily concerned with dietary restraints. The variety of food made available to the family is greatly reduced to accommodate the needs of the affected child. This overprotection may induce resentment from siblings, who may feel neglected and even hurt in the process.”

Unique difficulties for low-income families
In face of a disease that is both unpredictable and chronic, low-income families suffered yet more due to limited access to public health care services. The prolonged waiting time for public health services fails to provide symptomatic relief and control for these families when help is most needed. Further, medical consultation and prescriptions incur additional expenses and add extra burden to the family. In short, low-income families experience difficulties over and above those caused by the disease itself. It is therefore imperative that their needs be heard and addressed directly.