Introduction:

Hospitalization is a stressful experience, and understanding how children feel is essential for working in health psychology. The study aimed to identify the stressors and protective factors present in child hospitalization.

Method:

This is a qualitative study that included the participation of 10 children aged between 7 and 11 years, hospitalized for at least 48 hours and with physical/cognitive conditions to respond to the interview. Content Analysis, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the IRAMUTEQ Software were used to analyze the interviews.

Results:

There was a high recurrence of the words hospital, play and mother and the emergence of six categories with a high level of agreement (0.88 with p < 0.001) among the researchers, namely: 1. Coming to the hospital; Understanding the clinical picture; 3. Reaction to medical/hospital procedures; 4. Change in routine; 5. Relationship with the team; and 6. Companion as a support figure. Discussions: in line with the findings in the literature, we identified the presence of stressors linked to hospital restrictions and procedures.

Conclusion:

Understanding stressors and protectors can favor effective care for hospitalized children.

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