Developmental characteristics of chronically ill Filipino children's concept of pain: An exploratory study

• Main Author: Fernandez, Angelita Rosario Sievert
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Chronically ill; Pain in children > Philippines; Counseling Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/314; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_doctoral/article/1313/viewcontent/CDTG005062_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This mixed-method sequential exploratory study explored the concept of pain in chronically ill Filipino children. It sought to understand their views on pain and their pain experiences and to discover whether developmental characteristics could be identified in the childrens verbally expressed concept of pain. Fifteen chronically ill children ages 5-17 years old took part in the qualitative phase of the study and were divided into three age groups, roughly corresponding to three Piagetian developmental stages, namely the preoperational, concrete and early formal stages. The initial qualitative phase used the case study method and utilized developmentally appropriate strategies in interacting with the children. It also interviewed caregivers and child life coordinators using a semi-structured interview guide. Based on the findings in phase 1, two children were then chosen to take part in the quantitative phase, utilizing the single case experimental design, specifically the AB time-series. This phase provided a psycho-educational pain management program to the children. Findings showed that childrens understanding of pain and their ability to communicate their understanding are dependent on their developmental level, the nature and diversity of their pain experiences and familial and situational factors. Developmental difference in the concept of pain was observed between the youngest age group and the two older age groups. A developmental difference was also identified in the childrens use of pain relieving techniques. However, there seems to be no age-related differences in the childrens sources and expression of pain. The psycho-educational program lowered the pain scores of one child but not of the other. The findings in this study have implications on the assessment and management of pediatric pain and in the development of hospital-based intervention programs tailored to the needs of chronically ill children.