ANSIEDADE DE FAMILIARES NO CONTEXTO DA HOSPITALIZAÇÃO DA CRIANÇA E DO ADOLESCENTE

Abstract

Introduction: The situation of childhood illness demands greater attention and care from the family as a result of the adjustments that are necessary and the impact it causes on all family members. The family needs to develop physical and emotional skills to deal with and manage adverse situations faced in this context. Families living through the hospitalization experience of a child or adolescent have high levels of anxiety. It is necessary to identify and understand the anxiety experienced by these family members, in order to provide better professional assistance. Objective: To identify the anxiety of accompanying family members in the context of child and adolescent hospitalization. Method: This is a descriptive study with a mixed approach. Study participants are family members of children/adolescents cared for in the pediatric ward of Hospital Universitário Maria Aparecida Pedrossian, Campo Grande, MS. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, under CAAE n. 30714920.3.0000.0021 and opinion no. 4,0003,836. Data were collected from September to October 2020 and took place through the application of the Anxiety Assessment Inventory – State and Trait version, respectively, and for qualitative data a sociodemographic form was applied through a semi-structured interview. Data of a quantitative nature were recorded in a database in Excel 2016 and analyzed by statistical procedures of descriptive analysis, comparison and correlation. The interviews were transcribed in full and the data were analyzed using Morse and Field's Qualitative Content Analysis proposal. Results: Thirty family members participated in the study, mostly women with a median age of 33 years, married or living in a stable relationship. As for the Trait and State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the mean of the final score of Trait-anxiety was higher when compared to the mean of the final score of State-anxiety. From the integration of data, through the mixed method, it was evidenced that the anxiety of the accompanying family members is intensified as they face the interruption of daily activities and that the hospital setting and all events arising from hospitalization generate fear and provide an increase in the anxiety of those involved. In addition, changes in school conditions and impacts on the work axis were responsible for the increase in family members' anxiety regarding the pandemic context. However, amid the adverse conditions of hospitalization, family members recognize that social support, belief and faith in God, and the support of the health team are essential to reduce anxiety. Conclusions: The study concludes that accompanying family members feel anxious during hospitalization and this feeling was intensified by the pandemic context. Still, anxiety during hospitalization is related to fear, insecurity and uncertainty about the future of the child/adolescent and the interruption of life caused by this context. Implications for practice: From the identification of anxiety and understanding of associated factors, further studies can be carried out to develop intervention strategies that promote the support and welcoming of accompanying family members, aiming at alleviating anxiety and better coping with this context.

Keywords: Anxiety. Family. Hospitalization. Child. Adolescent.