INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE.d(4). 339 363 Copyright 9 1997. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Coping With Pain and Surgery: Children's and Parents' Perspectives Graham J. Reid, Christine T. Chambers, Patrick J. McGrath, and G. Allen Finley This article examines relations between coping with general and postoperative pain. children's and parents" coping ratings, and the contribution of temperament and coping to postoperative adjustment. Before and after day surgery, 7-to 12-year-aids (n = 124) rated their coping with pain. Parents rated their child's coping and temperament. Pain and distress were rated on the day of and 2 days fol]owing surgery. Coping with general and postoperative pain were moderately correlated (median r = .48). Except for distraction, all types of eopir~g strmegies were used more frequently for general than postoperative pain, Correlations between child and parent coping ratings were moderate (median r = ~36). After controlling for emotionality and medications, lower [evels of emotion-focused avoidance and higher levels of distrac- tion were related to lower pain and distress. After controlling for a priori surgical group (no-low pain: moderate-high pain), emotionality, and medications, lower Graham J. Reid, Christine T. Chambers. Patrick J. McGralh, and G, Allen Fi nley, IWK-Grace Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Ha]if~Lx.Nova Scotia. Canada. Christine T. Chambers now at The University of Brilish Columbia, Vancouver. British Columbia. Canada. This project was supported by a research gr~mt I'ronl tile Hospital for Sick ChildrerFs Foundation (Grant No. XG 95- 017 "'Pain and Coping in Children Recovering from Day Surgery") Graham J. Reid was .~upported by an Izaak Walton Killam (lWK) Children's Hospital Foundation Posldoctoml Fellowship and by an unreslricted research grant from Bristol Myers Squibb awarded to Palrick J, McOrath. Portions of this articte were presented at the Great Lakes Regional Conference uf the Society nf Pediatric Psychology, Toronto, Ontario. April, 1996 and at the 8th World Congress on Pain. Vancouver. British Columbia. August, I996. We thank Pauln English and the staff of IWK Day Surgery, pttrticularly Lyann Hanham. Hmtie Coward. Clare Danieis, and Janice Penney, and the parents and children who pr, rticipated in this study rot allowing us to learn from them. We also thank the three anonymous reviewers and the action editor for t heir valuable suggest ions. Correspondence concerning this m'ticle should be addressed to Graham J. Reid. Toronto Hospital. General Division. Psychology. CW2-329. 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronlo, Ontario, MSG 2C4. E-mail: ~.reid @utoronto.ca