From Reading to Healing: Managing Psychological Tension in Hospitalized Children through Therapeutic Stories

Introduction: In the course of hospitalization, children face emotions such as fear, separation, loneliness, in addition to physical weakness – immobility due to their disease, intravenous lines etc. Parents have to manage the responsibility of decisions and maybe even some personal guilt, and are therefore not giving the children the chance to express how they feel. Healthcare professionals may lack adequate training and time to cover such needs.

Purpose: Each “difficult” situation offers a chance to learn, if freedom of expression is guaranteed. Our purpose was to examine whether reading stories written by a psychologist can help children adjust to hospital environment.

Material: The project was carried out during the last trimester. The participants were 32 children, aged 8-16 years old, who were hospitalized for at least 5 days and were receiving intravenous treatment. The children were given stories to read, followed by discussion and expression through theatrical games and drawing.

Method: A qualitative research method was applied. One researcher carried out interviews – discussions with each child, using eight open questions as a guide. The other researcher observed and noted down everything (even the pauses). This was followed by activities based on the story. Data was codified and three themes emerged.

Outcome: The participants enjoyed reading and responded enthusiastically to the activities. Younger children expressed themselves more through drawing and sketching, whereas older ones preferred to impersonate the heroes of the stories and engage in dramatic play.

Conclusions: A child’s hospitalization can be an emotionally learning and evolving experience, given the proper support.