Alessandra Brunoro Motta

Intervenção psicológica lúdica para o enfrentamento da hospitalização em crianças com câncer

The assessment of coping strategies is an important resource for the development of intervention techniques to minimize the psychological impact of childhood cancer. Behavioral effects of a recreational psychological intervention program were evaluated among 12 children with cancer, aged from 7 to 12 years old and hospitalized in a public pediatric hospital. The Computer Assessment Instrument of Coping to Hospitalization (AEHcomp) was used with two groups: G1, submitted to the recreational psychological intervention focused on coping, and G2, submitted to the traditional free play. The between-groups comparison demonstrated no significant difference for facilitating and non-facilitating behaviors during the pre and the posttest. The intra-group comparison showed a significant decrease in non-facilitating behaviors during the post-test, suggesting a possible positive effect of the recreational intervention program focused on coping.

Câncer infantil: uma proposta de avaliação as estratégias de enfrentamento da hospitalização

A crianca com câncer precisa se adaptar a hospitalizacao, utilizando estrategias de enfrentamento adequadas a fim de minimizar os efeitos negativos. Visando a elaboracao de um instrumento de avaliacao das estrategias de enfrentamento da hospitalizacao, 28 criancas, de 6 a 12 anos, inscritas no servico de oncologia de um hospital publico de Vitoria, ES, foram submetidas a aplicacao do instrumento: Avaliacao das Estrategias de Enfrentamento da Hospitalizacao, com 41 pranchas ilustradas, divididas nos conjuntos: A: Enfrentamento da hospitalizacao, e B: Brincar no hospital. Os resultados referentes a adequacao do instrumento mostraram um percentual de 88,4% e 94,6% de adequacao das pranchas do Conjunto A e do Conjunto B, respectivamente. Os resultados das respostas ao instrumento indicaram um padrao de respostas de enfrentamento mais facilitador (brincar, conversar, tomar remedio e rezar) do que nao-facilitador (esconder-se, brigar, sentir culpa, fazer chantagem). O instrumento mostrou-se adequado a compreensao e ao atendimento psicologico a crianca hospitalizada.

Coping da hospitalização em crianças com câncer: a importância da classe hospitalar

Hospitalization affects childrens behavior, and it is dealt with through childrens coping strategies. This study aims to describe the hospitalization coping strategies adopted by children with cancer, analyzing the importance of the Hospital Class. Eighteen (18) children with cancer, aged between 6 and 12, participated in the study. The children were evaluated using the Computerized Instrument for Assessing Hospitalization Coping Strategies and their parents responded to the Child Behavior Checklist (6-18 years). The most common behaviors referred to were playing, talking, watching TV, taking medication, studying, feeling angry, and blackmailing. The most common strategies identified were rumination and distraction. The children highlighted the importance of the Hospital Class as a way to continue their learning process and education. The samples coping patterns revealed behaviors and strategies that were favorable to coping with hospitalization during the Hospital Class period, which indicated possible benefits for children undergoing cancer treatment.

Comportamentos de coping no contexto da hospitalização infantil

Child hospitalization needs to cope with the stressors that cause anxiety and suffering. Aiming at describing the coping behaviors of hospitalized children and their relationships to age, sex and the reason for hospitalization, 148 responses of children aged 6-12 were analyzed (M = 9.5 years old) to the Coping with Hospitalization Scale, from an integrated database. The results were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Taking some medicine, talking, watching television, praying and playing were the most referred to behaviors. There was a correlation between the coping behaviors and the differences caused by the hospitalization reason. Girls tend to sing more, and demonstrated more crying, sorrow and fear than boys. There were no differences as to age, but persuasion behavior decreases in older children. We suggest that sex, hospitalization reason and age have to be considered in interventions on coping with hospitalization.