CONSIDERING THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARE SETTINGS
There is no set rule for admitting minors to psychiatric hospitals. From one care facility to another, children are sometimes told they do not have the right to see their hospitalized loved one, but sometimes, as at the Saint Bernard Mental Health Campus (Manage, Belgium), they are admitted according to their needs and ages.
At Etincelles & Co., we believe that institutions must adapt to children's needs, because hospitalization is also a time of separation and anxiety for them. They have often witnessed the events that led to their hospitalization, yet they often remain silent about what they experienced. It is up to the adults—professionals and families—to create the conditions that allow them to express themselves. This means taking the time to ask them how they are doing and if they need to talk.
Beyond institutional operating rules, we must remember the rights and needs of children; sometimes it is simply the need for a little hug for a hospitalized parent.
" The children's area welcomes all patient-parents who wish to come with their children and family for a break from the illness, supported by support groups and family consultations. The child is recognized as a close relative concerned by their parent. It is in this capacity that it is important to welcome them. The aim is not to screen for future 'problem' or 'at-risk' patients, nor even to assign them the identity of caregivers. They are our visitors, we are their guests, and we ensure that this encounter with the sometimes unfamiliar world of the hospital takes place in a warm, suitable space where they feel welcome. Their parents are there with them as such, and they can leave their identity as 'patients' at the entrance." Frédérique Van Leuven, psychiatrist, Stéphanie Tanghe, nurse coordinator of the children's area. (Mental Health No. 258, May 2021, pp. 32-37)
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"During a parent's hospitalization, we are careful to ensure that children are welcomed as relatives and that they can be heard, listened to, and received as such."
Dr. Frédérique Van Leuven