Psychosocial Impact of Hospitalization on Ill Children in Pediatric Oncology Wards

Background: Cancer and hospitalization can be the major crisis that a child encounters .A diagnosis of cancer often involves long hospital stays from days to months for the pediatric oncology patient in Iraq with limited access to psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. Consequently, many patients experience psychosocial problems as a result. Objective(s): The aims of this study was to assess psychosocial impact of hospitalization on ill children, ages from 6 to 12 years in Pediatric Oncology Wards and to find relationship between sociodemographic variables for child ,family and illness such as child's gender, age, type of treatment, frequency of hospitalization, parental education, etc. Methodology: Seventy-five participants (mothers), from two different hospitals, were recruited using a nonprobability (purposive) sampling strategy. Data collection included interviews with (n=75) of parents of pediatric oncology patients from the Children Welfare Teaching Hospital and Central Child Teaching Hospital in Baghdad city (2012 to 2013).The Child Behavior and Psychosocial Problems checklist was used to evaluate psychosocial impact. Cut of point used to determine the level of psychosocial impact of hospitalization on children and using correlation analysis were computed to determine the relationship of sociodemographic variables to the psychosocial impact of hospitalization on ill children in oncology ward. Results: The results of the study indicated that impact of hospitalization was mild on the most of the participants (n = 50; 66.0). Moreover, the results showed significant relationships between the frequency of hospitalization and duration of hospitalization. Recommendations: The researchers recommend applied special program for preparation of children for the experience of hospitalization and recommend to the Ministry of Health to develop special training program for the medical staff to deliver mental health services to the all children in oncology wards. Conclusion: Hospitalization is still have many psychosocial impact on children in oncology wards. Identification of psychosocial risk factors based on the Child behavior and psychosocial problems could be helpful in predicting child psychopathology and could help in decrease psychosocial problems related to hospitalization