Effectiveness of Play Therapy during Hospitalization in reducing Anxiety among 6-12 Years Children in the Selected Tertiary Hospital at Bhubaneswar

Abstract

Background: Hospitalization can be a threatening and stressful experience for children. Because of unfamiliar with the environment and medical procedures and unaware of the reasons for hospitalization, it can result in children’s anger, anxiety. Objectives: The objectives of the study are to do the baseline assessment of anxiety score of hospitalized children of experimental and control group, to assess the effectiveness of play therapy and to assess the pre and post intervention score of anxiety across different sub group of anxiety disorder like Separation anxiety, Social phobia, OCD, Panic/agoraphobia, Physical injury fears, Generalized anxiety. Methods: Randomized clinical control trial design with control group was used and the formal consent was obtained from Pradyumna Bal Memorial Hospital and the investigator selected 60 samples using consecutive sampling technique (taking every patient who met the selection criteria over the specified time period) and then randomized into experimental and control groups. Measurement of anxiety experienced by the school going children was assessed with the help of Spence Children Anxiety Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Result: The mean anxiety score of children in control group was 39.4 and the experimental group was 34.433. The p value in comparing the anxiety score of children in control and experimental group was 0.004, which was statistically significant at p<0.01 level indicating that there was significant difference in the post test level of anxiety between the control and experimental group. Conclusions: The study was concluded that play therapy was effective in reducing the anxiety among school going children.