Fear In Young Children Research Articles

An Exposure-Based Video Game (Dr. Zoo) to Reduce Needle Phobia in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years: Development and Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

Needle phobia, which affects 19% of children aged 4 to 6 years, prevents many children from receiving necessary or preventive medical treatments. Digital interventions have been made to target needle phobia but currently rely on distraction rather than evidence-based exposure. We designed and evaluated a serious exposure-based mobile game called Dr. Zoo to reduce the fear of needles in children aged 3 to 6 years, where players administered shots to cartoon animals. We conducted a mixed methods study with 30 parents (mean age 35.87, SD 4.39 years) and their 36 children (mean age 4.44, SD 1.11 years) who played the game for 5 days leading to a scheduled appointment that included an injection (eg, influenza vaccination). After the study, parents completed exit surveys and participated in semistructured interviews to evaluate ease of use, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the game and to provide insights on their experience with the game to inform future developments. Interview transcripts were analyzed by 3 independent coders following an open coding process and subsequently coded and discussed to reach consensus. Parents rated their child's difficulty in completing the game as very low on average (scale 1-5; mean 1.76, SD 0.82) and were highly likely to recommend Dr. Zoo to other parents (scale 1-5; mean 4.41, SD 0.87), suggesting Dr. Zoo's strong ease of use and high acceptability. In the exit survey, parents rated their child's fear as significantly lower after participating in the study (scale 1-5; mean 3.09, SD 1.17) compared with that before participating (scale 1-5; mean 4.37, SD 0.81; z score=-4.638; P<.001). Furthermore, 74% (26/35) of the parents reported that the game had a positive impact on their child's fear or perception of needles (only 2 parents reported a negative impact). Qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts revealed potentially important features of the game in this positive impact, such as the game's interactive design, as observed in 69% (24/35) of our participants. The results suggest that an evidence-based serious mobile game can be an easy-to-use, acceptable, and potentially effective intervention for changing young children's fear and perceptions of needles. Leveraging digital interventions may be a potential solution to needle anxiety as a public health concern.

Effects of Whistling Compared with Buzzy Device During Blood Sampling on Pain and Fear in Children’s Emergency Department

ABSTRACT Blood sampling from a peripheral vein in children can be significant. Pediatric nurses should be able to use the techniques which decrease the pain and fear duration of the blood sampling. This research studied the effect of vibration bee and whistling (concentrate on breathing) blood sampling on pain and fear in the children’s emergency. In this randomized clinical trial study, 120 children ages 3–6 years referred to a pediatric ward in Najaf, Iraq, using Random Blocking Method, were divided into three groups; vibration bee, whistling, and control group. A musical vibration bee, with the cold bag attached to it, was closed for 5 minutes at approximately 5-10 cm above the blood sampling site. A final minute, the vibration was applied; then, the procedure was done. The pain severity was measured by Wong Baker Faces scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS19 software at the significant level of 95%. There was a significant difference in pain intensity between the control groups and the intervention groups (p = .000). Moreover, there was a significant difference in children’s medical fear scale between the control groups and the intervention groups (p = .000). Whistling (concentrate on breathing) may be an easily accessed, inexpensive, and effective technique to control or reduce pain and fear in young children. But, vibration bee with cold has a greater effect for reducing pain and fear. It is suggested to use vibration bee (with cold) in painful aggressive procedures in children.

The prevalence of dental anxiety and fear among 4-13-year-old Nepalese children.

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of dental fear and anxiety among children aged 4-13 years using three fear scales, i.e., facial image scale (FIS), Nepalese version of Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS), and Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS). The study was conducted on 300 children (4-13 years) who visited the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry. The fear and anxiety levels were measured using three fear measurement scales, i.e., FIS, Nepalese version of CFSS-DS, and MCDAS. The dental behavior observed was rated according to the Frankl's Behavior Rating Scale (FBRS). The prevalence of dental fear according to FIS was 11.9% as evident from children having FIS 4 and 5 scores. Dental fear with CFSS-DS ≥38 was identified in 49 children (21 [12.5%] male and 28 [21.21%] female). In assessment of the behavior of children in the clinics through FBRS, it was observed that the maximum number of respondents (70.6%) showed Frankl's rating 3, i.e., positive. The Nepalese versions of the CFSS-DS and the MCDAS are both reliable and valid scales for evaluating dental anxiety and fear in young children. Assessing dental anxiety and fear is useful, as behavior management can be designed accordingly for child patients.

Concordance between physiological arousal and emotion expression during fear in young children with autism spectrum disorders.

This study aimed to measure emotional expression and physiological arousal in response to fear in 21 children with autism spectrum disorders (43–75 months) and 45 typically developing children (41–81 months). Expressions of facial and bodily fear and heart rate arousal were simultaneously measured in response to a remote controlled robot (Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery). Heart rate analyses revealed a main effect of task from baseline to fear (p < 0.001, ), no interaction effect and no effect for group. In addition, children with autism spectrum disorder showed intact facial and bodily expressions of fearful affect compared to typically developing children. With regard to the relationship between expression and arousal, the results provided evidence for concordance between expression and arousal in typically developing children (r = 0.45, n = 45, p < 0.01). For children with autism spectrum disorder, no significant correlation was found (r = 0.20, n = 21, p = 0.38). A moderation analysis revealed no significant interaction between expression and arousal for children with and without autism spectrum disorder (F(1, 62) = 1.23, p = 0.27, ), which might be the result of limited power. The current results give reason to further study concordance between expression and arousal in early autism spectrum disorder. Discordance might significantly impact social functioning and is an important topic in light of both early identification and treatment.

Experimental Modification of Interpretation Bias about Animal Fear in Young Children: Effects on Cognition, Avoidance Behavior, Anxiety Vulnerability, and Physiological Responding

This study investigated the effects of experimentally modifying interpretation biases for children's cognitions, avoidance behavior, anxiety vulnerability, and physiological responding. Sixty-seven children (6–11 years) were randomly assigned to receive a positive or negative interpretation bias modification procedure to induce interpretation biases toward or away from threat about ambiguous situations involving Australian marsupials. Children rapidly learned to select outcomes of ambiguous situations, which were congruent with their assigned condition. Furthermore, following positive modification, children's threat biases about novel ambiguous situations significantly decreased, whereas threat biases significantly increased after negative modification. In response to a stress-evoking behavioral avoidance test, positive modification attenuated behavioral avoidance compared to negative modification. However, no significant effects of bias modification on anxiety vulnerability or physiological responses to this stress-evoking Behavioral Avoidance Task were observed.

Bullying: Managing Fear in Young Children

Support for LearningVolume 24, Issue 3 p. 147-147 Bullying: Managing Fear in Young Children Erica Mace, Erica Mace TeacherSearch for more papers by this author Erica Mace, Erica Mace TeacherSearch for more papers by this author First published: 20 August 2009 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9604.2009.01415_3.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume24, Issue3August 2009Pages 147-147 RelatedInformation

Death Understanding and Fear of Death in Young Children

The purpose of this study was to test whether the developmental acquisition of a mature concept of death, that is, understanding death as a biological event, affects young children's fear of death. Ninety children between the ages of 4 and 8 participated in an interview study in which their understanding of death and their fear of death were both assessed. Levels of general anxiety were also measured via parent report. A regression analysis indicated that more mature death understanding was associated with lower levels of death fear, when age and general anxiety were controlled. These data provide some empirical support for the widely held belief that discussing death and dying in biological terms is the best way to alleviate fear of death in young children.

A Comparative Study of Early Childhood Fear and Caregivers' Responses to Fear in Australia and Canada

This paper describes a cross-cultural study of the emotion of fear. Caregivers from an independent preschool, a preschool attached to a public school, an extended hours care facility for children from birth to school age, and an indigenous community preschool were invited to participate. In total, 20 caregivers in Canada and 21 in Australia participated. They were asked to name fears that preschool-aged children experience, to describe how children show fear, and to further describe how they respond to children's fears. Findings suggest that caregivers can miss or misinterpret fear and fear displays and that they could, in many cases, respond to fear more effectively. By expanding their understanding of what young children fear, the variety of ways that children express fear, and how to help children to understand fear, early childhood educators in both countries can more effectively respond to fear and other emotions in young children. It is hoped that insights provided through this cross-cultural study will assist early childhood educators to achieve this.

Nelly's Version

Nelly's Version

Validating Young Children's Feelings and Experiences of Fear

Children experience a wide range of emotions, from happiness and excitement to anger and disgust. When children are happy, their caregivers encourage their expression of happiness and often join in to share this emotion with them. Yet when they are angry, afraid or disgusted, often children are encouraged to suppress or change their emotions. This is particularly true of the emotion of fear. While parents and caregivers currently employ a variety of strategies to respond to fear in young children, some of these methods may be positioning children in ways that increase their fears or invalidate their feelings of fear altogether. Well-intentioned parents and caregivers may be unaware of the effect that messages such as ‘there's nothing to be afraid of’ or ‘don't worry, you're safe with me’, could have on children. This article examines a range of adult responses to children's fears and the effectiveness of these responses.

Game playing: A method for reducing young children's fear of medical procedures

Little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of age-appropriate health teaching aids for use in the classroom setting. This experimental study measured the effectiveness of “Hospital Windows,” a medically orientated, educational game, for its ability to increase knowledge and decrease fears of young children regarding common health care practices and procedures. A random selection of 100 healthy preschool children, between the ages of 4 and 6 years, participated in the study. Paired t tests indicated a significant increase in the experimental children's knowledge of health care concepts and significant decrease in their fear of medical equipment and procedures after playing the game. The use of game playing appears to be an effective instructional method of teaching health education to young children in the classroom setting.

Biblioguidance With Kindergartners: Evaluation of a Primary Prevention Program to Reduce Fear of the Dark

Symbolic modeling in the form of stories was examined with respect to its effectiveness in reducing young children's fear of the dark. Kindergartners were assigned to experimental and control conditions. The experimental group heard stories that dealt positively with the dark and in which story characters were presented as coping models. The control group heard neutral stories irrelevant to fear of the dark. The results showed that the experimental group showed a significant reduction in self-reported fear of the dark. Moreover, an increase was found in the frequency of coping statements expressed by these children in discussions that followed the storytelling. The findings, which should be considered preliminary, provide evidence for the potential efficacy of using stories for the reduction of fear of the dark in young children. The activity can be applied in the children's natural setting (i.e., kindergarten). This approach lies within the conceptualization of primary prevention.

Reduce Young Children's Fear of Water

Reduce Young Children's Fear of Water

AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF A METHOD OF OVERCOMING CHILDREN'S FEARS

This study was planned with the aim of trying ou* experimentally a method of overcoming fear in young children 1. An examination of actual research on this subject and of the books on child guidance which deal with the elimination of children's fears indicated a need for further experimentation under controlled conditions, as well as data from other sources. A brief summary of this literature follows.