Psychological support of hospitalised children and their parents in Hungary

Introduction: When children are undergoing hospital care, psychological support is important. This includes providing a child-friendly environment and care, information and preparation for the examinations appropriate to the child’s age, stress reducing methods applied according to the child’s intellectual level, and the presence of parents. Objectives: In the course of the study, we examined the psychological preparation and support provided during hospital care in Hungary on the basis of parental opinions. Our goal was to get to know the activities of children’s nurses in connection with the psychological preparation and support of children. In light of the results, another goal of the research was to prove the need to adapt a support system, already widespread internationally and with proven positive effects, in Hungary. Methods: A descriptive and multivariate analysis of the results of the online, quantitative questionnaires filled in by the parents of children between the ages of 0 to 14 who spent at least three days in hospital. Results: Based on the opinions of the 566 parents who filled in the questionnaires, the psychological preparation of children was carried out in a minimal number of cases in Hungarian hospital care. During the hospital treatment, parents evaluated their own anxiety level as higher than that of their children and stated that they would have liked psychological support themselves. Conclusions: In Hungarian paediatric care, psychological support given to children and parents is inadequate. The work of Child Life Specialists is essential within the childcare system, and it is essential to work out how to introduce and involve such specialists in caring for children. © 2021 The Authors. Published by University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.