Take Control Mobile App for Teens

About This Resource

As hard as it may be to believe, fifty percent of teenagers have a significant fear of needles…and almost all of them feel like they’re the ‘only one” who struggles with this issue. It’s VERY common and can be a major barrier to them getting the health care they need. It’s also a very solvable problem with some simple-but-effective strategies! We want teens to feel powerful and in control when it comes to their health and be able to have their voices heard so they can collaborate effectively with their healthcare team.  This tool teaches them proven strategies, including breaking it down to the why, the how, and the specifics of what they can say to get what they want out of their experience. NOTE: It really only works well on phones and mobile devices. It’s going to look weird and funky on a laptop.

It also goes well with our downloadable worksheet where they can write out their plan too.

How To Use This Resource

Before they have to do a needle stick or other medical procedure, teens and older kids can scroll through the tool, explore the strategies, favorite the ones they like, and send themselves their own personalized plan just by entering their email (we don’t keep or use this information, btw!). Parents and providers can share the tool with teens and older kids and use it to spark a discussion about how adults and caregivers can support their coping plan. Adults can take the opportunity to validate their feelings about how many others kids get stressed about this too.  It can be very powerful to reassure them they are definitely not alone!

Who Is This For

This is really meant for older kids and teens…like 11 and older. It was developed because of the great and honest feedback we got from teens that the kid-focused SuperMeg tech tool is “too babyish” and the adult-focused Hack the Vax is “too boring.”  We love the honesty and the opportunity to better meet the need!