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Published on: September 19, 2019
Living through medical traumatic stress: children's voices in a qualitative study
Selma Durmuş Sarıkahya1, Aslı Akdeniz Kudubeş2, Remziye Semerci Şahin3
1Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Artvin Çoruh University, Artvin, Türkiye.
Aim:
This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of children who have undergone traumatic medical interventions, focusing on their emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial responses.
Methods:
A descriptive thematic qualitative design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 children aged 7-18 who were recently hospitalized at a state hospital in Türkiye. Data were analyzed thematically using Deterding and Waters' flexible coding approach within a biopsychosocial trauma framework.
Results:
Five core themes emerged: (1) Trauma Induced by Medical Interventions, (2) Re-experiencing, (3) Avoidant Attitudes, (4) Emotional and Bodily Responses, and (5) Psychosocial Adaptation Process. Children's trauma narratives revealed a complex interplay of procedural pain, fear, avoidance, emotional withdrawal, somatic distress, and the critical influence of age, sex, and relational support.
Conclusion:
Pediatric medical trauma extends beyond physical procedures, encompassing emotional, relational, and developmental dimensions. A trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive care approach that fosters emotional safety and empowers children is essential to promoting adaptive coping and preventing long-term distress.
Practical Implications:
Integrating trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive care practices into pediatric settings can help nurses recognize behavioral and somatic indicators of distress, provide emotional safety, and foster resilience in hospitalized children.
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