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The psychosocial responses of school-age children to hospitalization
1Yale School of Nursing, New Haven, CT.
Insights
Hospitalization did not significantly alter school-age children's behavior. Pre-hospital behavioral issues were the primary predictor of behavior during and after hospitalization.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Childhood Development
- Hospitalization Impact
Background:
- Understanding the psychosocial impact of hospitalization on children is crucial for effective care.
- Previous research has yielded mixed results on the behavioral changes in children post-hospitalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychosocial responses of school-age children to hospitalization.
- To compare children's behavior before, during, and after hospitalization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a repeated measures analysis of variance.
- Compared behavior of 50 children (aged 8-12) during unscheduled admissions at three time points: pre-hospitalization, one week post-admission, and one month post-discharge.
Main Results:
- No significant overall change in children's behavior was observed following hospitalization.
- Pre-hospital behavioral problems consistently predicted behavior across all measurement times.
- A moderate correlation existed between usual pre-hospital behavior and the number of prior hospitalizations.
- Family functioning was linked to behavior only one week after dismissal.
Conclusions:
- Hospitalization itself may not cause significant behavioral shifts in school-age children.
- Pre-existing behavioral issues are a key factor influencing a child's response to hospitalization.
- Family dynamics play a role in short-term recovery post-discharge.
Abstract:
This study examined the psychosocial responses of school-age children to hospitalization. The subjects were 50 children, between 8 and 12 years of age, who were unscheduled admissions. The children's usual pre-hospital behavior was compared to their behavior during the first week following hospitalization and one month after dismissal. Repeated measure analysis of variance was used to demonstrate that there was no change in the school-age children's behavior following hospitalization. A moderate relationship was found between the children's usual prehospital behavior and the number of previous hospitalizations. Family function was related only to the children's behavior one week after dimissal. the children's usual prehospital behavioral problems were related to their behavior at all three times. No relationship was found between the length of hospitalization or the number of previous hospitalizations and their post hospital behavior.