Enhancing Adaptive Capabilities of Hospitalized Child

Abstract

Hospitalization is always a difficult situation for a child as well as for its parents. It is also a new situation, accompanied by fear and negative emotions. Child's adaptation to hospital conditions and reduction of fear are not always taken into consideration properly, as the whole process of hospitalization is concerned. The most significant issues are diagnosis and treatment, most often pharmacological or surgical. Usually, there is also not enough qualified personnel (clinical psychologist, special educator), who could provide necessary support to a child and his or her parents. Not much however, has been written so far regarding the subject of our research, that is why, in our opinion, there is an urgent need of conducting further studies based on theory and developing appropriate model of prevention and psycho-correction, which would take into consideration an individual approach towards the child, depending on its age, family situation, type of disease, the length of hospitalization, as well as child's interests and talents. In our research on children from the age of pre-kindergarten to older schoolchildren, we chose the monographic method to conduct a conversation and an interview (most often with the parents), observation, analysis of the child's works and the gap-test (version for children). The aim of our research was to familiarise with the child's history and its psychic activity, with emphasis on cognitive factors which make the child aware of the whole situation concerning disease, help to estimate losses and benefits, the role of the parents and the child itself. While doing our research, in relation to the examined children, we made psycho-corrective proceedings of enhancing their adaptive capabilities to hospital conditions. One of integrative plays we used, was called Guess the emotions. We also used an exercise called Paint the feelings moreover, forming the attitudes of positive thinking and self-acceptance as well as development of interests were also introduced. Individual approach to ill children considering mentioned above effects, presented in the article have become a part of so called integrated therapy which may turn out to be the most promising and effective form of therapy developed in future.