The Chronic Illness Game

The Chronic Illness Game facilitates the improvement of social skills and coping strategies in children with a chronic illness who often suffer from impaired psychological and social development. The goal of the game is to achieve sharing and understanding of the isolation and the painful and complex feelings experienced by children with a chronic medical condition.

Played in small groups or with families, the game encourages emotional expression and the exploration of belief systems, cognitive processes and behavioural responses in a safe and boundaried space, using a medium with which young people are familiar.

Based on an integrative psychotherapy model, it incorporates systemic and cognitive-behavioural orientations and techniques from counselling psychology and is particularly useful for those who are struggling to come to terms with the complications accompanying chronic illness. The game should be facilitated by a health or mental health professional (who may participate as a co-player) and is intended for use with groups of up to six players or with families, although it may also be used with individuals.

The recommended age range for participants is 6 to 16 years, but the game can be adapted for working with younger or older children.