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Invented fairy tales in groups with onco-haematological children

G Margherita1, M L Martino, F Recano

  • 1Department of Humanistic Studies, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.

Child: Care, Health and Development
|May 16, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Invented fairy tales in groups help children with onco-haematological illnesses express their experiences and pain. This method fosters symbolic communication, improving psychosocial well-being and interpersonal connections among young patients.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Creative Arts Therapies

Background:

  • Onco-haematological illnesses present significant challenges for children, impacting daily life and emotional expression.
  • Children often struggle to communicate their fears and pain due to communication barriers with caregivers.
  • A need exists for therapeutic interventions that facilitate emotional expression in pediatric cancer patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the meanings children ascribe to their illness experiences through co-constructed fairy tales.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of invented fairy tales in groups as a therapeutic tool for pediatric cancer patients.
  • To understand the underlying strengths and weaknesses of this creative arts intervention.

Main Methods:

  • A research-intervention utilizing invented fairy tales in group settings with 49 children undergoing onco-haematological treatment.
  • Quali-quantitative analysis, including thematic analysis and cluster analysis, of the co-constructed fairy tales.
  • Fairy tales were treated as a collective narrative corpus to analyze shared meanings.

Main Results:

  • Four thematic clusters emerged: fantasy as meaning-seeking (29.71%), the group as a space for illusions (27.90%), illness as a family issue (25.72%), and anchoring reality (16.67%).
  • Key themes influencing meaning included the representation of illness, the relational world, and institutional perceptions.
  • The intervention facilitated symbolic expression of pain and illness experiences.

Conclusions:

  • Invented fairy tale groups provide a valuable medium for pediatric cancer patients to share and process their illness experiences symbolically.
  • This therapeutic approach acts as a mediator for psychological processes, offering new coping strategies.
  • The intervention enhances interpersonal communication and relationships among participating children.
Abstract

Keywords:
children's viewscommunicationfairy talepaediatric onco-haematologyqualitative research methods

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