Relationship between maternal attitudes toward hospitalization and children's behavioral reactions to hospitalization

Hospitalization is a stressful event for some children. Many children exhibit a wide variety of behavioral, physiological, and psychological responses to hospitalization that are considered to be manifestations of anxiety. Efforts have been made to mitigate children's fears and anxieties by preparing them for surgery. However, some children demonstrate negative reactions to hospitalization despite preparation procedures. It has been suggested that parents' anxiety may influence children's reactions to hospitalization.

The present study examined the relationships between maternal attitudes toward hospitalization and children's behavioral reactions to hospitalization. Thirty children hospitalized for ear, nose, and throat surgery and their mothers were included in the study. Mothers and their children viewed a videotape designed to prepare children for minor surgery. Maternal attitudes were assessed by a questionnaire, and children's positive and negative behavioral reactions during two stressful hospital procedures were measured by direct observation. The results indicated a positive relationship between maternal attitudes toward hospitalization and children's positive behavioral reactions to hospitalization. The major implication of this finding was the need for direct parental involvement in the care and preparation of children in hospitals. No relationship was found between maternal attitudes and children's negative behavioral reactions to hospitalization. This finding was discussed within the context of the limitations of the study. Major limitations were confounding measures of state and trait anxiety, and assessing the multidimensional construct of fear by behavioral observations only. It was concluded that further investigation of the relationship between maternal attitudes and children's behavioral reactions to hospitalization is needed to improve the quality and well-being of the parent-child dyad.