ABSTRACT
This chapter advances the position that the study of how children cope with medical stress can be of considerable value in understanding the ontology of fear and anxiety. The pain and discomfort that occur when the child is exposed to noxious stimuli in an unfamiliar environment prompt avoidance, loss of control, and heightened arousal. Furthermore, these reactions are enhanced if separation or inadequate support from parents occurs. The chapter argues the importance of investigating specific anxiety responses to stressful medical and dental settings irrespective of the co-occurrence of these responses with other constellations of symptoms as specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. An ecological framework, which views the child interacting in the naturalistic medical setting, can advance the integration of the theories of stressful experience within a developmental perspective.
