Date of Award

5-2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

EVMS School of Health Professions

Program/Concentration

Art Therapy

Abstract

Surgery is a strange, and often frightening experience for children. A number of programs have been studied which attempt to prepare children for the surgery experience. Art therapy may be especially suited to help prepare children for surgery because art making is an effective form of communication for children, and can allow them to express their thoughts and fears about surgery. Unfortunately, studies of art therapy preparation programs are rare, and usually take the form of case studies. This research study is the first step in designing an art therapy preparation program for preparing children for surgery.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of an art therapy task in revealing children’s perceptions of an upcoming surgery. Subjects were ten children, age 4-11, who were undergoing a tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy at the Children’s Hospital for the King’s daughters, as well as their parents. The children completed a drawing picturing the surgery they were going to have, while the parents completed a questionnaire relating the amount of preparation the children had received as well as a rating of the children’s anxiety level. A comparison of the drawings and questionnaires revealed that reported anxiety level was related to the subject matter of the drawings. The information gained from this study was used to design a preparation program to help parents and children communicate more effectively about surgery.

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