[Psychological interventions for acute pain in childhood]

Pain sensation depends on individual anxiety and situational circumstances. It is attributed a psychological and social basis. In children, the sensation of pain generally exceeds its perception.

Facing acute pain in childhood - especially during medical procedures -, interventions derived from behavioural medicine may help minimize the sensation of fear and pain as well as maximize the experience of internal control. But, it is impossible to totally eliminate acute pain that way. Although it is undisputed that children benefit from psychological intervention, in clinical practice its potential is largely underestimated. Factors with impact on the sensation of acute pain and resulting behavioural and coping strategies are presented. The psychological preparation for a painful medical procedure is demonstrated in detail as an example of a behavioural medicine derived procedure.