Hospitalized child and teenager with chronic diseases: feelings about death

Analyze the feelings of hospitalized children and adolescents with chronic diseases towards death.

Qualitative research, with four children and one teenager with chronic diseases, aged between 11 and 13 years old, who were admitted at a teaching hospital in Brazil, in the period from January to March 2009. In-depth interviews were carried out using a ludic material for therapeutic purposes, named ''As a guest in the hospital". The empirical material was submitted to thematic analysis.

Two mains meanings were obtained: Feelings of hospitalized children and adolescents with chronic diseases dealing with the death of the other; and children and adolescents with chronic diseases and the fear of their own deaths. Hospitalization makes children and adolescents come across the death of other sick people, arousing feelings of sadness, consternation, anxiety, making the fear of their own death become a threat.

The health team needs to be attentive to the feelings of hospitalized children and adolescents facing death so that they can get the demands, minimizing fears and anguish.