Parents can act as coaches in times of stress such as flares, tests and physicians visits. Techniques such as deep breathing, relaxation exercises, guided imagery and thought stopping are very helpful. Their greatest benefit is gained if they're practiced at home before they're needed. Information about these techniques can be obtained either from the clinic or the local library. Professionals who work with teens in health settings are becoming more aware of the benefit of maintaining peer support.
Parents report that psychosocial problems increase as school absences increase.
A fear of rejection may be associated with absences from peers, particularly if the individual's appearance is altered. To this end, support groups of teens are occurring more frequently. The results show that the young people feel better able to cope with the social problems related to their illness and that these support groups strengthen their understanding of themselves and improves their quality of life. An important element to consider about conditions like lupus is that they occur in people who have had healthy lives until the diagnosis. They had friends, played sports, took music lessons, held part-time jobs.