Date of Award

2024

First Advisor

Jennifer Daniels

Second Advisor

Nancy Bonvillain

Third Advisor

Anne O'Dwyer

Abstract

There is a breakdown of communication, trust, and effective practice in medical interactions involving children. Children are accorded neither the same rights nor the same courtesies of adult patients, and medical interactions involving children can be distressing and difficult interactions. This thesis is a systematic review of all of the contributing factors to this issue, using a psychological and linguistic framework. The analysis is interspersed with narrative work that humanizes and clarifies the issue beyond the theoretical framework. The work is structured to confront the reader consistently with the reality of being a child in medical interactions. The formal analysis covers the issue from several fields of psychology including trauma psychology, developmental psychology, and family systems psychology as well as from the field of linguistics. Specific features of interactions between pediatric patient, parent, and doctor are analyzed. It includes a formal discourse analysis used to examine the unique linguistic relationships between children and doctors. Additionally, this thesis includes an analysis of the historical basis for the current issues facing pediatrics and a look at some of the legal precedent for children’s rights in medicine. The work concludes with a look towards repairing these interactions, using actionable solutions that go well beyond handing out lollipops.

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