ABSTRACT
Hospitalization for children may be a traumatic experience which can result in varying degrees of depression and anxiety. To help children deal with their negative reactions to illness and hospitalization the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York introduced a program of theme-focused group sessions for pediatric patients. The group concerned itself with issues of the hospital experience including 1) lack of, or distortion of, factual information, and 2) fantasies, fears and anxieties related to hospitalization. The group also served as a diagnostic tool by allowing the observation of children's reactions to their hospitalization; as an educational experience for non-psychiatric hospital personnel to learn about children's development and psychological functioning; and to reduce the anxiety level of the children, lessen hyperactivity, aggressiveness, and resistance to hospital procedures.
