Breaking the link between stress and illness in children. What role can physicians play?

Abstract

Six-year-old Mary has a new baby sister, and her father, who recently lost his job, is talking about moving to another city where employment opportunities are better. Mary is worried about leaving her friends and going to a new school. With her mother preoccupied with the baby and her father job hunting, Mary responds to the stress in her life by having a sore throat. In this article, Dr Haggerty urges that children like Mary must be taught to deal with stress in ways that lessen susceptibility to illness but retain the motivating and life-enhancing virtues of stress and suggests that health care providers take on the role of teacher.