Politics Home | Arthritis UK to shine a light in Parliament on young people living with arthritis

In every constituency, there will be young people having to navigate the difficulties of growing up with this chronic illness. This is why Arthritis UK is bringing a young people’s art exhibition to Parliament next week to shine a light on their experiences so that they receive the recognition and care they deserve. 

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a form of inflammatory arthritis diagnosed in people under the age of 16. Receiving a diagnosis at such a young age can be an overwhelming experience, and this disease impacts all stages of what can be considered a balanced and fair upbringing. 

For young people, having arthritis translates into missing school or playtime for medical appointments, having to learn complex medical terminology alongside completing homework, balancing fatigue with maintaining a healthy social life, and isolation proven to impact relationships and family planning.

Arthritis UK believes that the needs of young people living with arthritis have been neglected, leading to poor diagnosis and poor outcomes from a lack of support, and stigma. This World Young Rheumatic Disease Day (WORD Day) (18th March), the charity is calling on MPs to challenge the common misconception that arthritis is ‘just an old person’s disease’.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has a personal connection to the cause, often speaking about his own mother’s diagnosis of Still’s disease, which is a form of JIA. 

In the run-up to the WORD Day, Arthritis UK is proud to welcome just a fraction of the children and young people across the UK living with JIA into Parliament to celebrate the opening of an art exhibition, ‘Inside Arthritis’. The exhibition will be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall (9th to 12th March), and parliamentarians will have the chance to hear first-hand the very real challenges and needs of these young ambassadors. 

The artwork displayed in the exhibition has been sourced from Arthritis UK’s ‘Joint Creativity’ art programme. ‘Joint Creativity’ educates young people about the science behind their condition through fun and accessible mediums. These interactive sessions are an opportunity to connect with a community that understands the difficulties of growing up with a chronic illness, which can often be an isolating experience.

Arthritis can equally impact mental health as much as physical health, with a recent report from Arthritis UK, Left Waiting, Left Behind, revealing that one in four people living with arthritis experience anxiety most of or all the time.

Therefore, having a creative outlet can make understanding these processes less intimidating and encourage young people to feel in control of their condition.  

This is true for Penny, 14, from Kent, who lives with JIA and has been a longstanding art club attendee and said:

“Joint Creativity made me feel less alone because I was meeting other young people with JIA, talking with others who really understand because they are going through the same things.

“There’s still a misconception around JIA because people still think that arthritis is something that only affects older people. I think the fact younger people get it needs to be more well-known because that awareness would bring more understanding.”

Arthritis UK, the UK’s leading arthritis charity, works to ensure that all people living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions are cared for and represented. Whether that be through funding world-leading research, provision of health information to patients and professionals or through services, such as the Young People and Families Service. 

Deborah Alsina MBE, Arthritis UK’s Chief Executive, will be speaking at the opening event and looks forward to hearing the empowering young artists’ stories first hand.

Deborah said: “’Inside Arthritis’ is a great opportunity for parliamentarians to hear first-hand from young people about the stigma and challenges of living with arthritis.  

 

“Like the Prime Minister, many of us know someone living with arthritis, the resilience it requires and the knock-on impact it can have on quality of life and mental health. This is particularly acute for those affected earlier in life; one study has shown nearly 60 per cent of children and young people with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis had or required mental health support.  

 

“Current polices and services do not adequately reflect the impact on both the individual, family and society. We hope that by hearing from our inspirational young people, parliamentarians will be inspired to help us advocate for greater change and, in doing so, tackle the misconception that arthritis is an older person’s disease.”