Psychosocial Problems and Unfulfilled Care Needs of Hospitalized Children as Perceived by Their Parents

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine psychosocial problems and care needs of hospitalized children as perceived by their parents. Methods: This descriptive study was performed with parents of 124 children receiving treatment in pediatric clinics of a university hospital. Data were gathered with Descriptive Characteristics Form for Parents and Children and Research Information Form. Results: Of all the parents included in the study, 65,3% reported being anxious, 62,1% reported being unhappy, 46% reported their children were anxious, 42,7% reported their children experienced problems with their eating habits and 41,9% reported their children continuously cried. 56,5% of the parents revealed the nurses were not available, 58,9% revealed their informed consent was not obtained before the procedures, 66,9% revealed they were not listened effectively, 72,6% revealed their children's consent was not obtained before the procedures, 77,4% revealed their children were not allowed to express their opinions and 82,3% revealed their children were not listened effectively. Conclusion:The parents were found to have such psychosocial problems as anxiety, unhappiness, continuously wanting to cry, fear and despair and their children were found to have such psychosocial problems as anxiety, problems with eating habits, continuously crying and fear. In addition, both parents and children had insufficiently fulfilled psychosocial needs concerning informed consent, effective listening and expressing their opinions.