Children's understanding of physical illnesses and psychological states

Abstract

The present study set out to compare 5.7, and 9-year-old children's understanding of a physical illness (chicken pox) with their understanding of a psychological state (depression). In addition, information about personal experience of the illnesses and external sources of information was elicited, in order to assess the effects of both age and experience. Children at all ages showed a basic intact knowledge of both chicken pox and depression, although older children had a more sophisticated understanding of depression, and had acquired this knowledge from a greater number of sources. The clinical implications of the findings, and their relationship to both neo-Piagetian and more recent theories of conceptual development in childhood are discussed.

Key Words:

• Children
• development
• illness
• depression.