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Coping behaviors of hospitalized preschool children
Insights
Preschoolers used fewer coping behaviors during high-stress events. Acutely ill children showed a greater tendency to reduce coping strategies in stressful situations, favoring information seeking and direct action.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Child Development
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Hospitalized preschoolers experience varying stress levels.
- Understanding coping mechanisms is crucial for pediatric patient care.
- Previous research has not fully detailed coping strategies across different illness severities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine coping behaviors in hospitalized preschoolers during high and low stress events.
- To compare coping strategies between acutely and chronically ill children.
- To identify frequently used and underutilized coping behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of 208 hospitalized preschoolers.
- Data collected during 722 high and low stress events.
- Children's Coping Strategies Checklist (CCSC) utilized for behavior recording.
Main Results:
- Fewer coping behaviors were observed during high-stress events compared to low-stress events.
- Acutely ill children exhibited a more pronounced reduction in coping behaviors during high-stress events.
- Information Seeking and Direct Action were the most frequent coping behaviors; Independence/Growth and Intrapsychic behaviors were least frequent.
Conclusions:
- Hospitalized preschoolers adapt their coping strategies based on stress levels.
- Acutely ill children may require targeted support for stress management.
- Clinical interventions should consider promoting a wider range of coping behaviors, including Independence/Growth and Intrapsychic strategies.
Abstract:
This study examined the coping behaviors of 208 hospitalized preschoolers during high stress and low stress events. The children were observed during 722 events and their behaviors were recorded on the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist (CCSC). The group included acutely and chronically ill children. While the preschoolers used more coping behaviors in low-stress events than they did in high-stress events, there were very few differences between the number of coping behaviors used by chronically ill and acutely ill children. The tendency to use fewer coping behaviors in high-stress events was more marked in the acutely ill children. There were larger differences in the specific coping behaviors used in high-stress and low-stress events. The types of coping behaviors used most frequently were Information Seeking (watching and visual examination) and Direct Action (tension reducing involving self, control by active participation, and control by preventing or delaying an event). The children used very few Independence/Growth and Intrapsychic coping behaviors. The research and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.