Psychosomatic Symptoms, Complex Emotions and Experiences of the Mothers Related to Paediatric Surgeries: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify psychosomatic symptoms and experiences of mothers. Methods: Ethics committee approval and institutional permission were obtained before starting the study. The sample of the study consisted of 23 mothers who agreed to voluntarily participate in study between May 01 and 31, 2018. The interviews were performed by two researchers. The content analysis of the obtained data was made by the researchers and the main themes were determined and interpreted. Results: It was observed that 47.8% (n=11) of the mothers who were included in the study were between 24-29 age range. Experiences by the mothers in the preoperative period were analyzed according to the expressions, the themes of fear, psychosomatic symptoms of mother, stress, curiosity, complex emotions and confusion, impact of previous experiences, concerns about home care and seeking resources to learn more about paediatric surgeries. Conclusion: It was found that the mothers were in need of the support of the health professionals in many ways in order to get satisfactory experiences related to paediatric surgeries of their children. The findings would attract the attention of health professionals and contribute to their approach to the families.