A Study on the Psychological Status of Hospitalized Children and Their Perceptions of Hospital and Sickness Through Drawings

Abstract

Objective: Sickness and hospitalization may have negative influences on the development and psychological status of children. It is important to understand children's perceptions of sickness and hospital in order to reduce and eliminate the negative effects of hospitalization experiences on the psychological well-being of the children. From this perspective, the aim of this study was to examine the hospitalized children's psychological status and their perceptions of hospital and sickness. Material(s) and Method(s): The study was based on a both descriptive and content analysis approach. The study group consisted of 31 children between the ages of 5 and 16 years who were recruited from a public hospital in North Cyprus. The children's experiences were examined through their family and hospital drawings and draw-and-tell interviews. Result(s): Anxiety, depression, regression, and the representation of the hospital as unsafe, need for a well-structured environment, problems with social relations, difficulties with holding onto life and lack of quality in the drawings were found to be the common findings in the drawings. When the drawings of each child were evaluated individually, it was found that regression increases in the hospital drawings. Conclusion(s): The findings of this study might help for understanding the hospitalization experiences from the children's perspective and might have clinical implications for practice in terms of supporting children in the hospitalization process.Copyright © 2019 Ankara Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital. All rights reserved.