Effectiveness of Bibliotherapy in Reducing the Level of Anxiety Among Hospitalized Children in Selected Hospital at Bagalkot

Abstract

Illness and hospitalization are fearful experiences for children and their families. Recent research has identified a range of variables that can influence the extent of negative reactions of children to hospitalization and medical interventions. These include the family's previous medical experience, the child's developmental status, the parent-child interaction, the seriousness of the illness, the severity of the medical procedure, and the coping style adopted by a child. Hospitalized children identified a range of fears and concerns which include separation from family and parents, unfamiliar environment, investigations, treatments and loss of self-determination. Numerous research studies have found that the children have fears and concerns regarding illness and hospitalization.
Aim: The aims of this study are as follows: (l) To assess the level of anxiety among hospitalized children. (2) To evaluate the effectiveness of Bibliotherapy in reducing the level of anxiety among hospitalized children. (3) To find out the association between the post test level of anxiety scores among hospitalized children with their selected socio demographic variables.
Materials and Methods: Study approach- An evaluative research approach and follows the study design as pre- experimental with one group pre test post test without control group. The population involved in this study was hospitalized children in selected hospitals at Bagalkot. Samples are hospitalized children admitted in pediatric general ward. Sample size is 50 (Total Hospitalized children were included in the study. Further, data were collected by semi structure and Hamilton Anxiety rating scale.
Result: After collection, an a data are organized and analyzed with the help of mean median and percentage, and the socio- demographic characteristics of hospitalized children were as follows: 36% of hospitalized children are in the age group of 12-13 years, Majority of subjects 62% were male children, 36% of hospitalized children belongs to 6th standard, 74% of hospitalized children are Hindu , 16% of hospitalized children are Muslim, 28% of children had stayed in hospital about more than four days, Majority of subjects (58) were belongs to a nuclear family and 32% of children were family income was 10,00 I to I 5,000. Assessment of levels of anxiety scores among children during pre test revealed that, the majority of children 23 (46%) had extremely severe anxiety, 22 (44%) percent of them had moderate to severe anxiety; And 05 (10%) had mild to moderate severity. None of the children were having Mild severity anxiety level. Assessment of levels of anxiety among children during post test reveals that, the majority of children 41 (82%) had mild severity anxiety, 09 (18%) percent of them had mild to moderate severe anxiety; None of the children were having extremely severe anxiety, moderate to severe, no any level of anxiety. So there is a significant difference between the pre test and post test level of anxiety scores of children regarding Bibliotherapy. Findings revealing the presence of significant difference between pre-test and post-test level of anxiety scores, hence the Bibliotherapy is proved to be effective in reducing the hospitalized anxiety among hospitalized children.
Conclusion: This study inference revealed that regular practice of bibliotherapy during hospitalization could bring about desired reduction of anxiety among children.