Clinical Empathy and Pediatric Stress: A Study With Hospitalized Children

• Grant number: 25/19024-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: December 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Cristina Ortiz Sobrinho Valete
• Grantee: Amanda Piovani Monteiro
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between clinical empathy as perceived by children and stress during the hospitalization process, as well as to translate and adapt the Visual CARE 5Q instrument for assessing clinical empathy in children in Brazil. The project will be divided into two phases: (1) Translation and Adaptation of the Visual CARE 5Q scale; (2) Validation of the Visual CARE 5Q and its association with the Child Drawing: Hospital (CD:H). Phase 1 will include the participation of 10 children, both male and female, aged between 7 and 11 years. In this phase, the instrument used will be the Visual CARE 5Q scale, which assesses clinical empathy. Phase 2 will involve 50 children, both male and female, also aged between 7 and 11 years. The instruments applied will be the Visual CARE 5Q scale and the CD:H, which assesses pediatric stress during hospitalization. As outcomes, it is expected that hospitalized children who perceive higher levels of clinical empathy from healthcare professionals will present lower levels of stress compared to those who perceive less empathy. In addition, it is expected that the adaptation of the Visual CARE 5Q instrument to the Brazilian context will prove feasible, valid, and reliable for use with hospitalized children. (AU)