BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT OF STRESS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STRESS AND MITIGATING OTHER PROBLEMS EXPERIENCEDBY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN MEDICAL TREATMENT; HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO CARRY OUT THESE INTERVENTIONS IN OTHER CLINICAL SETTINGS IS OFTEN NOT AVAILABLE TO PRACTITIONERS. PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT WILL INVOLVE THE DEVELOPMENT, EVALUATION, AND REFINEMENT OF AN INFORMATION MODULE DESIGNED TO (1) STIMULATE INTEREST IN BEHAVIORAL SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN PEDIATRIC TREATMENT AND (2) ENCOURAGE REPRODUCTION OF PROCEDURES HAVING HAD PROVEN SUCCESS. COMPOSED OF A VIDEOTAPE AND A WRITTEN COMPONENT, THIS INITIAL MODULE WILL FOCUS ON AN INTERVENTION WITH CHILDREN UNDER TREATMENT AT MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER, NEW YORK, DESIGNED TO REDUCE DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENT VENIPUNCTURE. FOLLOWING COMPLETION, THE MODULE WILL BE WIDELY MARKETED TO PURSES, SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, PEDIATRICIANS, AND FACULTY INVOLVED IN PRESERVICE AND INSERVICE EDUCATION FOR THESE GROUPS. PHASE II WILL THEN INVOLVE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION MODULES ON FOUR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONS IN BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS, SUCH AS THOSE BEING CONDUCTED IN PREPARATION FOR MEDICAL PROCEDURES, OBESITY ANDWEIGHT CONTROL, ASTHMA, AND DIABETES.