Dr Fiona Sotir

No Need(le) to Worry

Dr Sotir’s current research interests focus on procedural anxiety in children and young people. Her most recent work, the No Need(le) To Worry study, involved the creation of a self-help resource to address needle fear in young people aged 11-16 years old. She was awarded a Doctoral Research Fellowship from the National Institute of Health and Care Research to support this important work.

Needle fear affects around 50% of children and adolescents worldwide, and can have wide-reaching impacts. Children with needle fear can find attending appointments with their doctor or dentist very difficult and may avoid attending altogether, putting them at risk of pain, infection, and worsening disease. These children may also be unable to tolerate routine vaccination, leaving them unprotected against serious diseases such as measles and HPV-related cervical cancers.

A webpage was developed alongside young people, parents, and healthcare professionals. The site contains resources to help young people understand and manage their fear of needles, parents to support and have conversations with their children about their worries, and a communication tool to help young people communicate their worries with healthcare professionals.

Visit the No Need(le) to Worry website