Coping strategies of hospitalised school-age children undergoing treatment at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana

Background Hospitalisation is not an easy experience to face especially for school-age children. They go through stress during hospitalisation which adversely affects them psychologically. Children who stay in the Paediatric ward of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital for long periods have been observed to experience increased stress. The objective of the study was to assess the kinds of stressors hospitalised school-age children experience and the methods employed to cope. Quantitative research was used, with a descriptive cross-sectional approach. The population of the study was paediatric patients on admission over a three month period. The sample was limited to children between 6–12 years. Convenience sampling was used to select participants. A structured questionnaire for the child and the caregiver was used for data collection and a descriptive statistical analysis was done using Microsoft excel. Major causes of stress were cancer and fractures having mean scores of 3.7 and 3.4 respectively, followed by environmental factors. Coping strategies identified were “crying”, with a mean score of 3.63, though it was reported to be unhelpful. The most effective coping strategies were reported to be “presence of parents and siblings”, “pretend play with toys” and “watching cartoons”. Children experiencing hospitalisation for the first time had a challenging time adapting to the hospital environment. Young children have a greater need for help in coping with admission. Special attention should be given to children whose disease causes a lot of pain, as their need for coping is greater.