The Effects of Coping Cat Program on Anxiety, Emotion Regulation, and Resilience in Children Referring to Dentistry: A Case Study

 The number of pediatric dental clients is on the rise. Besides, the relevant methods are costly and concerning; therefore, psychological methods are required to treat pediatric dental anxiety. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Coping Cat Program (CCP) on anxiety, Emotion Regulation (ER), and resilience among 7- to 12-year-old children. 

 This was a case study with multiple baselines and a one-month follow-up design. The research sample included 4 subjects referring to the dental clinic in Mashhad City, Iran, in May 2017. The study participants were selected by the purposive sampling method. The study subjects received 16 therapy sessions (2 weekly sessions) based on the CCP. The child version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-k) and Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Child (SCAS-Child) were used to collecting the required data. For data analysis, the graphical analysis method and the determination of recovery percentage were applied. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS v. 21.

 Anxiety scores in the pretest and posttest in the first child ranged from 62 to 44 with the recovery rate of 0.29; in the second child, it ranged from 57 to 37, with a recovery rate of 0.35; in the third child, it ranged from 48 to 35, with a recovery rate of 0.27, and in the fourth child, this rate decreased from 55 to 25 with a recovery rate of 0.54. Resilience scores in the pretest and posttest in the first child ranged from 52 to 75, with a recovery rate of 0.44, in the second child, it was from 43 to 66, with a recovery rate of 0.53; in the third child, it ranged from 58 to 74, with a recovery rate of 0.27, and in the fourth child, it increased from 64 to 89, with a recovery rate of 0.39. ER components also significantly improved in the examined children.

 The present study data indicated that CCP was effective in reducing anxiety symptoms as well as increasing ER and resilience among children aged 7 to 12 years referring to dentistry. Thus, this method can be used to reduce anxiety symptoms and increase ER and resilience in this population. This method helps the child to become aware of negative thoughts, find evidence respecting their negative thoughts, cope with anxiety, learn skills, and practice and repeat these skills.