Chronic illness peer support. Assisting adolescent adjustment to life with a chronic illness

A considerable number of young people face the challenge of living with a chronic illness.  For many, the experience of a chronic illness can be fraught with feelings of frustration, alienation and a sense of isolation.  Recently there has been growing interest in the use of peer support programs as a means of assisting young people's adjustment to life with a chronic illness.  Peer support programs offer therapeutic gain while being financially accessible.  This document describes the development of the Chronic Illness Peer Support (ChIPS) program run through the Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne.