Assignment task: Chronic Medical Condition
Sickle cell anemia is an example of a chronic medical condition first manifesting in childhood which can produce a variety of stress-related psycho-social and perhaps mental health sequelae. In the United States it is predominantly a disease of African-Americans.
Drawing on Internet and library research into this medical condition, and the earlier readings by Masten and Coatsworth on competence and resilience, Carlson and Sroufe on attachment theory, or Cohler, et al. on adversity, vulnerability, and resilience (or more than one, if you are feeling ambitious!), please:
- Formulate a comprehensive understanding of the psychological challenges facing a child suffering from sickle cell anemia.
- Assess the child's vulnerability to psychopathology.
- Propose a plan for overcoming or minimizing the contribution of societal racism to the psychological and adaptational challenges facing such a child.
Be sure to cite research articles to support it.