For any child, surgery is an extremely stressful event. Research shows that a parent's pre-operative anxiety is strongly linked to the child's anxiety. The more the parent is afraid, the more the child is afraid. In such a situation, showing effective support to the child can be difficult. What methods will therefore help to effectively reduce the parent's anxiety?

Talking to a specialist and psycho-education

Research shows that any form of counselling that allows a conversation about concerns and free questioning can reduce a parent's anxiety. Psycho-education videos that are tailored to the circumstances and teach how to deal with difficult emotions and stressful events also prove helpful.

Playing with the child

In many hospitals, various games and activities are organised to pass the time for children waiting for surgery. Research shows that involving the parent in playing together can be extremely helpful in reducing their own anxiety. This is all the more true if the games are aimed at familiarising the child with the forthcoming operation.

Music therapy

Researchers report that active participation in music therapy classes can help lower the anxiety not only of the child, but also of the parent. Particularly when they play instruments, sing and listen to music together during the class. This is mainly due to the relaxing properties of music.

There are many methods to help the child mentally prepare for surgery. Unfortunately, few of them target mothers and fathers. The results of many scientific studies show that the above-described methods are most effective if they are combined and an integrated programme specifically tailored to parents is created.