Frica Intan Renvillia
James Cook University College of Medicine and Dentistry, Australia
Title: Hospital anxiety among hospitalized children
Biography
Biography: Frica Intan Renvillia
Abstract
Introduction & Objective: Paediatric hospitalization has always been assumed to cause emotional distress to patients
regardless of their age which may be manifest in a variety of ways. However, the most frequent immediate effects of the distress
were demonstrated through symptoms of anxiety and depression. Children who feel anxious often display negative emotional
behaviors such as crying, reduced communication and activity, as well as decreased interaction with health professionals. All
these symptoms could impair a child's ability to cope and cooperate with health professionals. This would potentially have
a negative impact on their recovery and increase their risk of developing complications. In contrast, children who have less
anxiety tend to be more cooperative and experience less post-procedure fear. With the significant improvement in the way
healthcare is delivered, it is essential that we re-evaluate the issue of hospital anxiety among hospitalized children and their
contributing factors.
Method: A prospective cohort study was performed in patients aged 8-17 years old admitted in a paediatric ward in a tertiary
hospital for a period of two to five days. Parents were invited to complete a survey using the PROMIS paediatric anxiety short
form over a three-month period.
Results: Parents were happy to contribute to the study and found the PROMIS paediatric anxiety short form easy to complete.
We were delighted to find that reported levels of paediatric anxiety in children and their careers were not as high as anticipated.
Conclusion: Although more work needs to be done to examine the levels of anxiety among our patients, it would seem that in
contrast to previous studies our patients and their families exhibit low levels of anxiety during their admission. Further work
to identify those patients most at risk of developing anxiety and the impacts that admissions to hospital have on families both
before and after leaving hospital would be useful.