A preliminary investigation of 4 to 11-year-old children's knowledge and understanding of stress.
OBJECTIVE
To examine children's knowledge, understanding and experience of stress from 4 to 11 years of age across four age groups (4-5, 6-7, 8-9, and 10-11 years old).


METHODS
A semi-structured interview format was used to elicit information from 50 children about their understanding and experience of stress.


RESULTS
Most children were able to define stress, with older children providing more complex responses. Many children had indirect and/or personal experience of stress. Younger children were more likely than older children to report that there was nothing people could do to stop stress; children reported using both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies to deal with stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Some young children have a basic understanding of stress and many have experience of stress; both understanding and experience develop with age.


CONCLUSIONS
The research has potential implications for provider-patient communication, particularly within preventative health education and clinically within the field of childhood post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Valentine
Althea
A
Institute of Work, Health & Organisations, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Buchanan
Heather
H
Knibb
Rebecca
R
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000517:prevention & control; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*