One latency-age child's coping with hospitalization

The hospitalized, chronically ill child in this study was able to secure gratification and emotional support from her environment, was able to use her cognitive ability to solve problems and gather needed information, and was able to utilize defense mechanisms to ward off anxiety until she could develop her coping strategy. The successful application of her coping strategy enabled her to achieve a degree of mastery in some of the hospitalization experiences. Throughout the hospitalization and treatment of this child there was no day during which she used her coping methods in the same sequential pattern. Instead, the coping methods varied with the stressful situation. The variety of coping methods used, the flexibility exercised, and ability to secure gratification assisted this child in coping and achieving mastery.