Hope and Children’s Health

Childhood is a critical time to develop hopeful thinking that can help children cope with challenges in general and those related to maintaining or improving their health. The purpose of this chapter is to (a) define hope as it applies to children and the growth of hope across developmental stages; (b) describe the way family members, teachers, and other significant adults can foster hope in children; (c) review studies on the relationship between hope and pediatric health and illness, including studies on health promotion, adherence to chronic pediatric diseases, and coping with a chronic pediatric disease; and (d) share knowledge related to patients with chronic pediatric diseases and how they maintain hope given the additional challenges they face in their lives.