Enhancing dramatic play potential in hospitalized children.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• Hospitalization disrupts children's sense of self and developmental progression.
• Illness and separation can induce regression to earlier developmental stages.
• The capacity for symbolic and dramatic play is linked to self-development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the functions of play in hospitalized children.
• To examine the impact of hospitalization on self-development and play capacity.
• To identify remedial play strategies for therapeutic benefits.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on play, hospitalization, and child development.
• Analysis of the relationship between separation-individuation and dramatic play.
• Discussion of developmental regression and symbolic play facilitation.

Main Results:

• Dramatic play is infrequent in hospitalized children, correlating with developmental stage.
• Hospitalization impacts self-development, potentially hindering symbolic play.
• Remedial activities can foster development, enabling therapeutic play.

Conclusions:

• Restoring self-development is key for hospitalized children to engage in dramatic play.
• Play serves a vital role in a child's sense of self during hospitalization.
• Therapeutic play interventions can support developmental progression and well-being.