Effects of Expressive Touch on Pain and Anxiety Levels of Pediatric Patients Hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit.

Purpose: The study was conducted to investigate the effect of expressive touch, on the pain and anxiety levels of children who were hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

Methods: This study was an interventional design with pretest-posttest, study and control group. The sample consisted of 45 children in the expressive touch group and 45 children in the control group who were hospitalized in an intensive care unit. The study's data was collected using the the Personal Information Form, Visual Analogue Scale-Pain and State-Trait Anxiety Scale for Children.

Results: The mean score the children in the expressive touch group obtained from the Visual Analogue Scale-Pain was 6.20 ± 0.89 before the intervention and 5.26 ± 0.65 after the intervention (p < .05). In the expressive touch group, the mean state anxiety score was 48.73 ± 3.56 before the procedure and 46.37 ± 2.19 after the procedure; the mean trait anxiety score was 48.51 ± 5.01 before the procedure and 38.37 ± 3.28 after the procedure (p < .05). As for the mean scores obtained from the Visual Analogue Scale-Pain and state-trait anxiety inventory by the children in the control group, there were no statistically significant differences between their pre- and postintervention mean scores. There was a significant difference between the participants' pre- and postintervention State Anxiety Inventory scores in terms of the variable regarding their previous hospitalization status (p < .05).

Conclusions: The study revealed that the pain and anxiety levels of pediatric patients staying in an intensive care unit decreased after the implementation of the expressive touch technique.

Clinical implications: The treatment of children in the intensive care unit increases their pain and anxiety. Expressive touch, which is an easy practice, can be used as a method to reduce pain and anxiety.