Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Starting at birth, infants will experience a host of routine medical procedures, which can be painful and distressing. Through school years children and adolescents will continue to endure pain and anxiety associated with planned and unplanned medical events. Although the distressing immunizations, sutures, venous accesses, and surgeries are at least necessary if not life-saving, they can also result in unplanned negative consequences, such as heightened future sensitivity to pain and negative attitudes toward and avoidance of healthcare (e.g., Pate, Blount, Cohen, & Smith, 1996; Taddio, 1999). Fortunately, psychological science has produced an arsenal of approaches to help children cope with distressing and painful medical events. This chapter details the evidence-based psychological interventions for pediatric procedural pain. At the outset, appropriate assessment of children’s medical anxiety and pain will be briefly discussed. Correlates of children’s pain will be presented to provide some context and nuances to consider when considering preparation and procedural intervention approaches. Subsequently, psychological approaches that focus on pre-procedure preparation are highlighted. Lastly, the focus will turn to the research base of psychological approaches to intervening during children’s medical procedural distress.
Source: Digital Archive @ GSU
Authors: Sarah R. Martin, Lindsey L. Cohen
Institution: Georgia State University
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W424918973