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Impact of the therapist-child dyad on children' s pain and coping during medical procedures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 February 2001

A Cate Miller ,
Marjorie Johann-Murphy  and
Victor Zhelezniak
A Cate Miller
Affiliation:
Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center, New York, USA.
Marjorie Johann-Murphy
Affiliation:
Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center, New York, USA.
Victor Zhelezniak
Affiliation:
Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center, New York, USA.
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Abstract

This study examined the effects of physical therapists' behaviors on the levels of distress and coping of 32 children (19 males, 11 females; age range 2.6 to 9.1 years) during a painful medical procedure. This is the second study to assess children throughout rehabilitation following selective posterior rhizotomy and the first to assess the impact of physical therapists' behaviors. Results of the Child–Adult Medical Procedure Interaction Scale–Revised confirmed the hypotheses that: (1) children exhibit more coping behaviors and fewer distress behaviors over time, and (2) positive relationships exist between coping-promoting behaviors in physical therapists and coping in children, and distress-promoting behaviors in physical therapists and distress in children. Prompts for children to use a coping strategy, reassuring comments, and non-procedural talk by therapists explained 67% of the variance in children's coping. Criticism, reassurance, checking child's status, praise, and empathic statements by therapists explained 65% of the variance in children's distress. Older children and children with higher IQ scores exhibited more coping behaviors.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , February 2001 , pp. 118 - 123
Copyright
© 2001 Mac Keith Press

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