Can drawing be considered a projective measure for children's distress in paediatric dentistry?
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.


OBJECTIVE
To assess drawing as a measure for child's distress in paediatric dental settings.


METHODS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Aminabadi
Naser Asl
NA
Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. aslaminabadi@gmail.com
Ghoreishizadeh
Arezoo
A
Ghoreishizadeh
Mohammadali
M
Oskouei
Sina Ghertasi
SG
D000367:Age Factors; D001154:Art; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003448:Crying / Q000523:psychology; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000145:classification*; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000523:psychology*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D005239:Fear / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry; D011386:Projective Techniques; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000145:classification*; D016312:Treatment Refusal