Development of a Brief Behavioral Intervention for Children's Anxiety at Anesthesia Induction

Abstract

The period surrounding children's surgery is a stressful one and it is estimated between 40% and 60% of children experience significant anxiety at anesthesia induction. Although pharmacological and behavioral interventions have been developed to address children's anxiety during induction of anesthesia, their widespread adoption has been limited by time and cost requirements. This study evaluated a brief intervention using shaping and exposure to address children's anxiety and compliance during anesthesia induction. The newly developed intervention significantly increased compliance and effectively dampened anxiety increases from baseline to induction of anesthesia. The intervention is time- and cost-effective and thus shows promise for its incorporation into standard medical care.