Children’s Books as Pedagogical Tools to Minimize Latrophobia

Abstract

Abstract Latrophobia, defined as the morbid and irrational fear of doctors or hospitals, makes medical or hospital visits extremely challenging for those who suffer from it. For many people, the cause of Latrophobia or its milder forms, including dislike and anxiety, is often rooted in childhood. Therefore, a large number of children's books deal with and illustrate the topic of a “doctor’s visit”, in order to reduce the anxiety through pedagogical methods combined in the narrative. The aim of the study is to investigate the extent to which selected children's books highlight latrophobia and try to reduce it by educational means. One focus is an analysis and an evaluation of the individual works combined with a comparison of the different methods of individual books. The main aim is to prove that children’s books can have the capability to reduce latrophobia. Materials and methods. The research examines 10 international children’s books dealing with doctor (dental) visits. A field test covering 63 children (21 with potential latrophobia) provides information for pedagogical values within these books. Furthermore, a subjective assessment combined with the ongoing survey filters (un)valuable methods and approaches. Results. More than half of the 21 children showed improved results concerning their feeling of being afraid before and after reading the book(s). Nevertheless, the assessment of the books showed that there are strong differences concerning the approach of “anxiety”. The methods used in the stories to reduce anxiety are numerous, debatable (in terms of success), and even frightening (from the perspective of child readers). The pictures and the atmosphere of the story can be pointed out as major factors for pedagogically valuable content. Conclusions. Although a major part of the examined books leveraged to reduce latrophobia, there are also some books which showed no or even worse effect. Due to the depicted representations of anxiety in the books, a counterproductive effect cannot be ruled out. Children's books, which should have a pedagogically positive effect of latrophobia minimization, must be compulsorily examined in advance by parents.