Youth workshops bring asthma into the open
18 December 2009

An innovative Asthma UK-funded project has helped young people with asthma learn more about managing their condition through a series of self-care workshops.

The ‘Getting Sorted’ workshop was a series of four sessions made up of ‘talking groups’ which focused on the impact asthma has on a young person’s life, and encourage, support and facilitate the development of self care activities.

A young person who took part in the workshop said: ‘I could express my feelings about how I feel about my asthma and what I do when I have asthma attacks… I found it easy in a group with other young people who have asthma’

Issues that emerged from these workshops included:

• living with the condition
• its impact on life
• labelling and relationships with others
• management and control
• parents
• access to information.

The young people found the workshops enabled them to learn about coping with asthma and feel more in control, develop independence in relation to GP/clinic visits and have increased confidence and self-esteem.

Sarah Fowler, a young facilitator, said: ‘It was great to see the young people gaining in confidence and gradually taking more of a front seat in the control of their asthma.  
 
Liz Webster, Director of Getting Sorted, said: ‘The workshops have been developed for young people by young people and capture exactly what they are all about - enthusiasm, determination and innovation. If healthcare provision is to improve for this group of young people we simply have to ask, listen and learn to ensure future services are commissioned and developed around their needs’.   

This project is one of many to have been supported by the Asthma UK Challenge Fund.