Freedom of being yourself: experiences of adolescents with chronic skin diseases at a camp^a

Abstract

Objective  To understand the experiences of adolescents with chronic skin diseases who participated in a camp.

Method  Phenomenological study with six adolescents diagnosed with chronic skin disease, participants in a camp in Brazil. Data collection: phenomenological interviews were conducted from July 2015 to January 2016.

Results  Three thematic categories emerged and enabled the understanding of the phenomenon. Participating in the camp brings about change in the lives of adolescents and their ways of being in the everyday world. It encourages them to reflect on the stigma they have experienced before and the new experiences, after attending the camp, help them to cope with life’s challenges in a more optimistic way.

Conclusion  For the adolescents, the experience of participating in the camp is transformative due to the possibility of meeting with peers and experiencing an environment free of prejudice, allowing the adolescent to be him/herself.

Implications for practice  Camps promote interaction among peers, being accessible strategies for health professionals, especially nurses. Interventions that, in fact, promote comprehensive health care for children and adolescents with chronic health conditions and their families, as well as the articulation between services of different complexities and their health professionals, can guarantee access to quality care.

Keywords:
adolescent; chronic disease; skin; pediatric nursing