The Impact of Previous Experience on Children's Reactions to Venepunctures

Abstract

The relationship between children's previous experience with venepunctures and their responses to a subsequent blood test was studied in 47 children hospitalized for a surgical intervention. We replicated the results of earlier studies, revealing no effect of the amount of experience but a significant effect of the quality of previous experience. Children with a history of negative medical experiences were found to show higher levels of state anxiety prior to the procedure and to be more distressed and less cooperative during the procedure than children with previous positive or neutral experiences. A comparison of both groups of experienced children with inexperienced children revealed that negative past experiences are likely to sensitize the child, whereas positive or neutral past experiences do not have a significant impact on subsequent reactions. This effect occurs independently of the coping style of the child (sensitizing versus repression).

Keywords

children medical procedures,previous medical experience,venepunctures

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bakker, F.C. , Van Wieringen, P.C.W. , Van der Ploeg, H.M. , & Spielberger, C.D. (1989). Handleiding bij de Zelf-Beoordelings-Vragenlijst voor Kinderen (ZBV-K. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger.

Bijttebier, P. , & Vertommen, H. (1996). Assessing children's cooperativeness during medical procedures. Unpublished manuscript.

Carlsen, A. , Humphris, G.M. , Lee, G.T.R. , & Birch, R.H. (1993). The effect of pre-treatment enquiries on child dental patients' post-treatment ratings of pain and distress. Psychology and Health, 8, 165-174.

Carpenter, P.J. (1992). Perceived control as a predictor of distress in children undergoing invasive medical procedures. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 17(6), 757-773.

Dahlquist, L.M. (1992). Coping with aversive medical treatments. In A. M. La Greca , L. J. Siegel , J. L. Wallander , & C. E. Walker (Eds.), Stress and coping in child health (pp. 345-376). New York: Guilford Press.

Dahlquist, L.M. , Gil, K.M. , Armstrong, D. , DeLawyer, D.D. , Greene, P. , & Wuori, D. (1986). Preparing children for medical examinations: The importance of previous medical experience. Health Psychology , 5(3), 249-259.

Faust, J. , & Melamed, B. (1984). Influence of arousal, previous experience and age on surgery preparation of same day surgery and in-hospital pediatric patients . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52(3), 359-365.

Field, T. , Alpert, B. , Vega-Lahr, N. , Goldstein, S. , & Perry, S. (1988). Hospitalization stress in children: Sensitizer and repressor coping styles. Health Psychology, 7(5), 433-445.

Fowler-Kerry, S. , & Lander, J. (1991). Assessment of sex differences in children's and adolescents' self-reported pain from venipuncture. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 16(6), 783-793.

10.

Hubert, N.C. , Jay, S.M. , Saltoun, M. , & Hayes, M. (1988). Approach-avoidance and distress in children undergoing preparation for painful medical procedures. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 17(3), 194-202.

11.

Humphrey, G.B. , Boon, C.M.J. , Van Linden van den Heuvel, G.F.E.C. , & Van de Wiel , H.B.M. (1992). The occurrence of high levels of acute behavioral distress in children and adolescents undergoing routine venipunctures. Pediatrics, 90, 87-91.

12.

Jay, S. , Ozolins, M. , Elliott, C. , & Caldwell, S. (1983). Assessment of children's distress during painful medical procedures. Health Psychology, 2, 133-147.

13.

Katz, E.R. , Kellerman, J. , & Siegel, S.E. (1980). Behavioral distress in children with cancer undergoing medical procedures: Developmental considerations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 356-365.

14.

Klorman, R. , Hilpert, P.L. , Michael, R. , LaGana, C. , & Sveen, O.B. (1980). Effects of coping and mastery modeling on experienced and unexperienced pedodontics patients' disruptiveness. Behavior Therapy, 11, 156-168.

15.

Klorman, R. , Michael, R. , Hilpert, P.L. , & Sveen, O.B. (1979). A further assessment of predictors of the child's behavior in dental treatment. Journal of Dentistry Research , 58, 2338-2343.

16.

Lee, G.T.R. , Humphris, G.M. , & Birch, R.H. (1989). The inquiry into the preference of parents of children attending Community Dental Clinics. Journal of Dental Research, 68(4), 582.

17.

Lumley, M.A. , Melamed, B.G. , & Abeles, L.A. (1993). Predicting children's presurgical anxiety and subsequent behavior changes. Journal of Pediatric Psychology , 18(4), 481-497.

18.

Melamed, B.G. (1993). Putting the family back in the child. Behavioral Research and Therapy, 31(3), 239-247.

19.

Melamed, B.G. , Dearborn, M. , & Hermecz, D.A. (1983). Necessary considerations for surgery preparation: Age and previous experience. Psychosomatic Medicine, 45(6), 517-525.

20.

Siegel, L.J. , & Smith, K.E. (1991). Coping and adaptation in children's pain. In J. P. Bush & W. Harkins (Eds.), Children in pain. Clinical and research issues from a developmental perspective (pp. 149-170). New York: Springer-Verlag.

21.

Spielberger, C.D. (1973). STAIC: Preliminary manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children ('How I Feel Questionnaire'. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

22.

Spielberger, C.D. , Gorsuch, R.C. , Lushene, R.E. , Vagg, P.R. , & Jacobs, G.A. (1983). Manual for the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

23.

Wachtel, J. , Rodngue, J.R. , Geffken, G.R. , Graham-Pole, J. , & Turner, C. (1994). Children awaiting invasive medical procedures: Do children and their mothers agree on child's level of anxiety? Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 19(6), 723-735.