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Summary
Children undergoing surgery experienced a greater decline in self-esteem compared to hospitalized or non-hospitalized peers. This impact was particularly noted in peer/social and school self-esteem domains.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Pediatric Health
- Psychosocial Impact of Illness
Background:
- Hospitalization and medical procedures can significantly affect a child's psychosocial well-being.
- Self-esteem is a critical component of child development, influencing social and academic functioning.
- Understanding the specific impacts of surgical versus non-surgical hospitalization is crucial for supportive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare changes in self-esteem among children undergoing surgery, those hospitalized for other reasons, and a non-hospitalized control group.
- To investigate the differential effects of surgical versus non-surgical hospitalization on various domains of self-esteem.
- To analyze changes in self-esteem over a one-month period in school-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving three groups of children aged 9-12 years: surgical (n=26), non-surgical hospitalization (n=25), and non-hospitalized (n=28).
- Utilized the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory to assess self-esteem across self, peer/social, school, and home/family domains.
- Employed a one-factor analysis of variance on change scores (final minus initial) to analyze differences between groups.
Main Results:
- Total self-esteem scores significantly decreased more in the surgical group compared to both non-surgical and non-hospitalized groups.
- The peer/social self-esteem subscale showed a greater decline in the surgical group than in the other two groups.
- School-related self-esteem scores decreased more in both surgical and non-surgical hospitalized children compared to the non-hospitalized group.
Conclusions:
- Surgical experiences negatively impact overall self-esteem in school-aged children more than non-surgical hospitalization or no hospitalization.
- Peer/social and school domains of self-esteem are particularly vulnerable to the effects of surgical procedures and hospitalization.
- Interventions aimed at supporting self-esteem in pediatric patients, especially those undergoing surgery, are warranted.