The effects of parental reassurance versus distraction on child distress and coping during immunizations

In this study we compared the effects of parents' distraction versus reassu rance on children's coping and distress during immunizations. Eighty-two pa rent-child dyads were randomly assigned to attention control, distraction, or reassurance conditions. The children were 3.8 to 5.9 years old, from low er to middle socioeconomic classes, who were reporting for preschool immuni zations at a county health department. The dependent variables included mea sures of behavioral distress using the Child-Adult Medical Procedure Intera ction Scale, children's self-report of their fear, and parents' reports of their ability to help their child and of their own upset. It was hypothesiz ed that children in the distraction group would be the least distressed, fo llowed by the control group, and that children in the reassurance group wou ld be the most distressed. Results generally support the hypotheses. Childr en in the distraction group showed the least amount of distress on several indexes. When compared to children in the control group, children in the re assurance group were restrained during a greater proportion of the immuniza tion procedure. Three times as many children in the reassurance group requi red restraint, when compared to children in the distraction group. Children in the reassurance group also displayed more verbal fear than children in the control or distraction groups. Following training and prior to the immu nizations, parents in the reassurance group were least upset and expected t o be able to provide the greatest amount of help to their children. However , after the children's immunizations, parents in the reassurance group rate d themselves as being more distressed than parents in either the distractio n or the control groups.