The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has updated its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including with new information specifically addressed to individuals in the European Economic Area. As described in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences.

Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.

×
No Access

Coping with pain: a developmental approach to treatment of burned children

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.139.6.736

The treatment of children aged 1-18 who experienced physical pain from an acute burn and the emotional pain of disfigurement offers a prototype for treatment of pain and understanding its impact on the child's emotional life. The author presents an initial report on differential response to and treatment of burn pain in infancy, the preschool years, latency, preadolescence, and adolescence. He describes the basic therapeutic interventions for such children, including psychological preparation, consistent "holding" relationships, selective reinforcement of denial, tolerance of regression, medications, and hypnosis or relaxation techniques.

Access content

To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.