Youth Voice in Healthcare and Well-Being

We know that it's important to include young people in making decisions, especially those that impact them. This includes decisions about their healthcare and well-being. Whether you're a parent, teacher, healthcare practitioner, etc., we as caring adults take the health and well-being of our young people seriously. Because of that, it can be difficult to give up control and include youth in important decisions and conversations.  

While it may be challenging, young people should have a voice in what happens to them -- even if they aren't the ones making the final decision. They deserve to be informed about their health and giving them a voice in their care will provide them with skills they'll need throughout their life as well as teach them important lessons about consent, autonomy, and making choices for themselves. 

We know that bringing youth in and trusting them with difficult decision-making can be a challenge. It's okay to start with smaller decisions and conversations. You can read more about why that's so important in this article from Psychology Today. For more tips and information about how to include youth in health care decisions as well as what's age appropriate, take a look at this article from KidsHealth.