PLAY AS A PREDICTOR OF COPING AND DISTRESS IN CHILDREN DURING AN INVASIVE DENTAL PROCEDURE

Investigated the relations among play, coping and distress in children undergoing an invasive dental procedure. A positive relation between play and coping and a negative relation between coping and distress an d between play and distress were predicted. Subjects were 37 pedodonti c patients (mean age = 8.1 years). immediately prior to the dental pro cedure, children's play was assessed using the Affect in play Scale (R uss, 1985, 1993). Coping and distress were assessed during and after t he dental procedure by observer report, dentist report, and child self -report. As predicted, children who were ''good'' players implemented a greater number and variety of cognitive coping strategies (rs ranged from .52 to .55, p < .05) and reported less distress, r(34) = -.53, p < .05, during the procedure than children who expressed less affect a nd fantasy in their play.