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Information for children, teenagers and families

• Home
• About CF
• The clinical team
• Out-patient care
• Nutrition
• Food diary
• Physiotherapy
• Exercise
• Psychological support
• Schools
• Benefits
• Hot weather
• Travelling and holidays
• Chest infections
• Cough swabs and sputum samples
• Bugs
• Cross infection
• Problems that might happen
• Medicines (including inhaled drugs)
• In-patient care
• Lung function
• Bronchoscopy
• Chest xrays and CT scans
• Bone density (DEXA) scans
• Annual review
• Puberty
• Fertility
• Life expectancy
• Genetic counselling
• What is a genotype?
• Research
• Moving to adult care
• Annual survey
• Lung function at home

Psychological support

Psychologists are part of the CF team and seeing the psychologist is a routine part of CF care for all children and their families. These sessions provide the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns, as well as providing practical coping strategies. Clinical psychologists can offer a range of therapies that will help support a young person and their family including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing and Behavioural strategies.

These are some examples of topics clinical psychologists offer support with:

• Adjustment and adaptation to diagnosis/ condition
• Managing anxiety about medical procedures, for example blood tests
• Adherence to treatment, eg oral and nebulised medication and physiotherapy, for children and young people of all ages
• Support for families about how to explain CF to children and young people
• Children’s behaviour (which may or may not be related to CF)
• Changes in emotional well-being e.g. feeling stressed, anxious or low in mood
• Support with eating and sleeping difficulties
• Coping strategies for parents to manage the day-to-day demands of family life
• Identity and body imagine in adolescents
• School problems
• Sibling relationships

If you would like help with any of the issues, please mention it any member of your CF team and they will arrange for one of the psychologists to contact you.