A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR THERAPY VERSUS GENERAL-ANESTHESIA FOR PAINFUL MEDICAL PROCEDURES IN CHILDREN

A treatment outcome study was conducted to compare the efficacy of cog nitive behavior therapy (CBT) versus general anesthesia in alleviating the distress of 18 pediatric cancer patients (ages: 3-12 years) under going bone marrow aspirations (BMAs). CBT and short-acting mask anesth esia were delivered within a repeated-measures counterbalance design. Results indicated that children exhibited more behavioral distress in the CBT condition for the 1st minute lying down on the treatment table . However, parents rated significantly more behavioral adjustment symp toms 24 h following the BMA when their children had received anesthesi a. No differences were found in childrens' and parents' preference for CBT versus anesthesia.