The Sibling Experience: Understanding and Supporting Our Other Kids with Emily Rubin

Mental health challenges don’t just affect the child who is struggling, they affect the whole family. For siblings, the experience can be confusing, upsetting, and even traumatic. Emily Rubin is the Director of Sibling Support at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, which works with hospitals and other agencies to address the needs of siblings and parents of children with mental health, developmental and special health needs. In our conversation, Emily explains the many emotions siblings experience when their brother or sister is struggling and describes the various ways that siblings might respond. She offers strategies that parents can use to support their other children so they can cope and adjust in the best possible way.