Barns psykologiska reaktioner på användning av andningsskydd

Sammanfattning: Research on psychological reactions on wearing respiratory protective devices (RPDs) has been initiated only recently. Knowledge about children's psychological reactions is still lacking. The aim of the thesis was therefore to provide such knowledge in connection with the design of RPDs for use by children in chemical accidents and warfare. A battery of methods was validated and then used in three empirical studies. The first of these consisted of three experiments in which children's acceptance and other psychological reactions were observed when they put on different kinds of RPDs. Evacuation with RPDs to a shelter was investigated in the second study. In the third study, measurements of psychological reactions were repeatedly made during 6 hours in a simulated shelter. Forty four adults and 37 children younger than 15 months old with their parents participated in Experiment 3 of the first study. The results clearly suggested that a protective suit for both child and adult was preferred when the child is at this age. In Experiments 1 and 2 of the same study and in the second study, a protective jacket was compared to a protective mask. Subjects were 368 children between 2 and 7 years old. The results indicated that the protective mask was accepted by more children than the jacket was. However, in the second study, where children and adults evacuated, parents and daycare center staff were found to have difficulties in putting on the masks. Subjects in the third study were 118 children and youth between 7 and 20 years old. In an experimental condition, subjects wore a protective mask. A dust mask with no breathing resistance was worn in a control condition. Interviews wore performed every 30 minutes in the shelter. In both the experimental and control conditions, a majority of subjects were able to wear the protective mask for 6 hours. The interruptions which were observed occurred between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. The primary reason appeared to be lack of motivation, more pronounced in the younger than in the older children. The need was thus highlighted of adding sources of extrinsic motivation to force, in particular younger children not to interrupt. In summary, the results provide clear guidelines for what types of RPDs are psychologically suitable for children at different ages.