A Weekly Group Meeting for Children on a Pediatric Ward: Therapeutic and Practical Functions

Abstract

The multiple sources of psychological stress to the hospitalized child are reviewed with references to the literature. The Hahnemann Pediatric Ward and patient population are described as are the functions of a weekly group meeting for school aged hospitalized children led by a child psychiatrist. Efforts are made to use knowledge gained from the children for therapeutic purposes within the group as well as for teaching the inpatient pediatric staff how the hospitalized child's behavior reflects his inner thoughts and feelings.

Aspects of the children's behavior and verbal productions in the group are discussed from a psychodynamic viewpoint. Conflict, ambivalence, fantasy distortion, denial and displacement are exemplified, as is the children's ever-present need to simultaneously express, defend against and master anxiety. Questions are raised about outcome and future avenues of investigation.

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