Art Based Support Sessions for Paediatric Inpatients in a District General Hospital

Background: In the United Kingdom, there is an increasing emphasis on supporting the additional needs of children and young people in hospitals with the use of schoolteachers and play therapists. Art based support sessions provide a dedicated way for children and young people to express their feelings non-verbally and develop a sense of achievement, positivity and self worth during their inpatient stay.

Objective: Art based support sessions create a sense of achievement and provide a purposeful activity for inpatients, increasing their resilience whilst also encouraging interaction. Personal expression can also help patients process personal issues, which in turn may help with mental health conditions. The positive relationships formed with an art therapist can also enable patients to develop better coping strategies. Art based support sessions induces ‘flow’ – which is defined as a subjective psychological state of total involvement in an activity. Often cited as bringing about highest sense of wellbeing and overcoming poor concentration.

Methods: Over a one-month period from May 2017 to June 2017, appropriate inpatients were identified by nursing and medical staff and offered the chance to attend an art based support session. Inpatients who volunteered attended one session with a student art therapist. Involvement in these sessions was on a voluntary basis and each session lasted for 1 hour.

Results: 10 patients were involved, ranging from 7 to 16 years old. Written feedback was collected from patients following each session. 70% (7/10) described the session as brilliant. 90% (9/10) wanted another session. 80% (8/10) would like the session to be longer.

Conclusion: Our feedback shows that children enjoyed these sessions and they distracted them from stressors they faced whilst being hospital inpatients. During these sessions we believe that children experienced a sense of achievement and positivity, developed increased resilience and had an opportunity for personal expression.