Date of Publication

1-20-2016

Abstract

Introduction: Hospitalization and illness can be a painful and stressful time for a child. There may be anxiety over procedures and inpatient stays disrupt normal routines. Previous research found that for pre-school aged children, having parents around, having the help of the hospital staff, and playing an active role in alleviating their fears were the most helpful in reducing anxiety. Another study found that visual creative expressions can be meaningful experiences for young adult cancer survivors. Additionally, there is abundant literature on formal art therapy and its favorable effects on children in the hospital, however, there are fewer studies investigating less standardized “art intervention” in the same population. The purpose of our project was to assess whether art intervention reduces anxiety and pain in inpatient and outpatient pediatric patients.

Advisor(s)

Shaden Eldakar-Hein, MD, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Rebecca Schwarz, Burlington City Arts

Agency

Burlington City Arts, Art from the Heart

Subjects

Health-Related Quality of Life & Well-Being, Maternal, Infant, and Child Health, Early and Middle Childhood, Educational and Community-Based Programs

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License

Effects of Art Intervention on Pediatric Anxiety and Pain in the Medical Setting

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