Assessment of children's distress during painful medical procedures

Examined the relationship between the distress of 42 pediatric cancer patients (aged 2-20 yrs) in response to medical procedures and a number of psychosocial, medical, and demographic variables. Results indicate that the observation scale used to measure distress was a reliable, valid instrument. The 3 variables most highly predictive of distress included the age of the S, the number of previous medical procedures experienced by the S, and parental anxiety in relation to the medical procedures. The apparent roles of cognitive-developmental factors and habituation in Ss' response to medical procedures are noted. Implications for intervention are reviewed, and it is suggested that effective intervention must include the parents.