Angst en stress bij jonge kinderen voor en na een medische ingreep

Abstract

Introduction: This study examined the responsiveness of measures that are used to investigate distress in children. It is important to know the level of distress in children before a medical treatment so the best fitting pedagogic intervention can be given. Children that experience lower levels off distress have fewer medical and psychological problems after the intervention. Method: Forty-two children aged zero till eight years in the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht participated in this study. Five- till seven-year-olds filled out self-report questionnaires about their distress. The father and the mother also filled out a questionnaire about their children’s distress. Results: Only the VAS-angst filled out by the child and the mother were able to measure a difference in distress before and after the medical treatment. Discussion: We advise to use both the instruments ZBV-K and VAS because they measure different concepts and have both their pros and cons. The COMFORT is difficult to understand for parents, so the advice is not to use this one.