PARENT AND STAFF BEHAVIOR, PREVIOUS CHILD MEDICAL EXPERIENCE, AND MATERNAL ANXIETY AS THEY RELATE TO CHILD PROCEDURAL DISTRESS AND COPING

Assessed the influence of adult in-session behavior and psychological variables on 77 preschool children's coping and distress during routin e immunizations. Maternal anxiety was not related to the behavior of t he parent, staff or child. However, in-session behavior by one person was highly correlated with in-session behavior by the other people in the treatment room. The effects of parent and staff in-session behavio rs, previous child medical experience, and maternal anxiety on child d istress and coping was examined using hierarchical multiple regression procedures. Child coping was predicted by parent and staff behavior w hereas child distress was predicted by parent behavior and by the leve l of the child's distress during previous medical and dental experienc es. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.