It's no secret that mental health challenges are on the rise for children and teenagers, but imagine being a kid with a complex, chronic health condition.

In a special two-part series on mental health, The CARRA Podcast explores how kids living with autoimmune diseases can face additional mental health challenges. The first episode takes a look at this pervasive problem, and in the second episode, we’ll have a conversation about solutions and examine what is being done to help kids and teenagers.

The CARRA Podcast host, Claudette Johnson, explores how doctor’s appointments, treatments, endless tests, and medications are part of daily life for kids with a rare autoimmune diseases. Missing school, sitting out from sports, not having friends who understand the child’s condition can be lonely and mentally challenging – on top of the struggles every kid and teenager faces.

In Mental Health - Part One, Claudette talks with a pediatric psychologist who is focused on helping kids living with pediatric rheumatic diseases. Dr. Alana Goldstein Lever is a team psychologist in the Department of Rheumatology, where she works with children, teens, and young adults with rheumatic diseases. She is also an assistant professor at the Ohio State University.

Dr. Goldstein Lever explains how and why mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, are on the rise in young people and why kids with pediatric rheumatic disease face additional challenges that can strain their mental health, such as medication side effects and physical limitations like missing recess or sports. They also may feel lonely or isolated due to living with a rare condition that their friends have never heard of and don't know how to pronounce.

This episode also examines the intersection of chronic illness, physical limitations, pain, and treatment challenges.

Dr. Goldstein Lever and Claudette Johnson discuss how there is an increasing recognition of these very significant issues facing young people and of the importance of mental health overall.

For example, Nationwide Children's Hospital has a campaign called “On Your Sleeves,” which focuses on really giving a voice to mental health issues. The hospital also has an innovative program where Dr. Goldstein Lever serves in a full-time role as the team psychologist in the Department of Rheumatology.

Want to learn more about CARRA?

The Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) was started by a small group of dedicated physicians working in pediatric rheumatology. CARRA was established with the mission to do collaborative research to prevent, treat, and cure pediatric rheumatic diseases.

Since the very beginning, CARRA researchers have partnered with patients and families at every stage of research.

From humble beginnings in 2002, CARRA has grown into an extensive collaborative research network with 600 members at more than 120 institutions. CARRA has built the largest observational multi-center Registry for pediatric rheumatic disease in North America, which has over 13,000 patients. CARRA also operates two biobanks – one in the United States and one in Canada.

Learn how physicians can join CARRA and how patients/family members can get involved with CARRA.