Year in Review

One of the first psychology courses I took was Psychobiology, which discusses the biological roots behind cognitive processes and mental disorders. It was the perfect combination of my two interests, and it also got me thinking about more intersections of child psychology and biology that could be explored. Drawing from my experiences with Cincinnati Children's and with A Moment of Magic, and my existing passion for helping children, I came upon an idea-- besides my existing volunteer work, I could also use my biological knowledge alongside child psychology to improve outcomes for medically vulnerable and underserved children.

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When we grow up, we so often forget what it was like to be children ourselves. We take for granted the knowledge and cognition we have as adults. More than anything, we often err in viewing "children" as an outgroup entirely separate from ourselves, and as such we too often fail to extend the same patience, kindness, and understanding to children that we do to adults.

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Through my work in pediatric illness and disability advocacy, I've been lucky to hear the firsthand experiences of many pediatric illness survivors. They often report not being told what was wrong with them or why they had to take a medication, have a test performed, or have blood taken. It's easy to hand-wave a child's "what"s and "why"s-- anyone who's worked with young children knows these questions come in abundance-- but we as healthcare professionals must take the time to have empathy for the child's perspective. If you, as an adult, were to be taken to a strange place you'd never been before and given medical treatment without knowing "what"s and "why"s, it'd be terrifying. Why do we expect children to go through that, when we would never expect the same of an adult?

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My hero, "Mister" Fred Rogers, was well-known for saying that "anything mentionable is manageable" (and that everything was mentionable). Any topic, no matter how difficult or scary (even to adults), can be broached and discussed with a child in an age-appropriate manner, and in a way that helps the child to feel safe and informed. We can use psychology and developmental science to create a framework for how children should be treated socially and emotionally in hospital settings, and explain biological and medical concepts in a way that honors their level of development and emotional well-being. The way you speak to a six-year-old about leukemia will differ from the way you speak to a sixteen-year-old about schizophrenia, but both of these adolescents can be informed about their diagnoses and treatments and treated with respect, compassion, and dignity not just as children, but as humans.

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In the next year, I look forward to exploring the many intersections of biology and psychology, and hope to engage in research and volunteer work that can employ the skills learned through my degree paths to improve the lives of underserved children.