| Background. Several tools have been developed
for the measurement of emotional status of the
child in paediatric dental clinics including nonverbal self-report techniques. Subjective methods like
drawing and Child Drawing: Hospital (CD:H) score
have recently been applied in hospitalized children. Studies, however, have not attempted to
analyse children’s drawings as an aid to investigate the subjective feelings of children in paediatric dental settings.
Aim. To assess drawing as a measure for child’s
distress in paediatric dental settings.
Design. Fifty-four children, aged 4–11 years, participated in this study. After finishing the first
therapeutic session, the child was instructed to
draw a picture of a person in a dental clinic. The
pictures were scored using CD:H score sheet and
the findings were compared with SEM and Frankl
scores.
Results. CD:H was correlated with both Frankl
(correlation coefficient = )0.550) and SEM (correlation coefficient = +0.483) scales (P < 0.001).
Conclusion. Drawing is a useful measure of children’s emotional status in dental settings in a way
that is easier, familiar and more enjoyable for the
child patient. |