Importance of psychological intervention for the recovery of children submitted to elective surgery.

Purpose: The effects of anxiety on the patient and his/her family are known to be the main factors that influence health recovery in child surgery. When the whole family can be prepared and supported by psychologic intervention, the damage to child behavior and family anxiety is attenuated.

Methods: This study was conducted in children between 2 and 6 years old, divided into 2 groups of 10 pairs each. The experimental group received psychologic intervention, whereas the control group did not. One month after the surgery, they were reevaluated and compared with the same instruments used in the beginning of the study. The instruments used were as follows: the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory with the mothers and the Rutter's Child Behavior A2 Scale and the Posthospital Behavior Questionnaire with the children.

Results: The results were compared by the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney nonparametric tests for independent samples, both at the P < .05 significance levels. Mothers stated that anxiety was different in the postsurgery period, showing a significant decrease when comparing the experimental and control groups. Both instruments to measure child behavior also showed that prepared children had less habit changes than the control group, which showed increased levels of inadequate behavior.

Conclusions: These data confirm reports in literature regarding child preparation before medical intervention and reinforces the importance of specialized presurgery planning procedures by the proper professional interfaced with the surgical colleagues, all aiming toward the best recovery for the children.