Reducing preoperative anxiety in children: information versus emotional support

Many different programs are now being used to help children cope with the emotional trauma of hospitalization. This paper presents the results of a study that explored the relative effectiveness of the major components in these programs. Comprehensive intervention, which incorporates both emotional support and information about hospitalization, was found to be the most effective program in reducing preoperative anxiety. An intervention that consists only of emotional support was also found to be capable of reducing anxiety. Application of these findings to the care of hospitalized children and the design of future research methodologies are examined.