Investigating Non-Pharmacological Stress Reduction Interventions in Pediatric Patients Confirmed with Salivary...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Child Health
• Psychoneuroendocrinology

Background:

• Hospitalization often induces significant anxiety and distress in children due to separation, procedures, and uncertainty.
• Assessing and mitigating this psychological distress is crucial for pediatric patient well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review non-pharmacological interventions for reducing anxiety in hospitalized children.
• To evaluate the impact of these interventions on children's anxiety or distress levels, using salivary cortisol as a biomarker.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Psych INFO, and Google Scholar (January 2000–March 2023).
• Studies reporting non-pharmacological interventions for children in hospital settings and confirmed with saliva cortisol levels were included.
• Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, utilizing four distinct intervention strategies.

Main Results:

• Non-pharmacological interventions were associated with reduced anxiety and distress in the majority of the reviewed studies.
• Salivary cortisol levels corroborated the positive impact of these interventions on children's stress responses.
• Four different types of non-pharmacological strategies were identified across the included studies.

Conclusions:

• Non-pharmacological interventions show promise in alleviating anxiety and distress in pediatric hospital patients.
• Salivary cortisol is a valuable biomarker for measuring anxiety in children, though further high-quality research is recommended to enhance its reliability.