Symptoms and Self-Management Strategies Identified by Children With Cancer Using Draw-and-Tell Interviews

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Child Psychology
• Symptom Management

Background:

• Pediatric cancer patients experience various symptoms impacting quality of life.
• Effective communication of symptoms is crucial for appropriate care.
• Arts-based methods offer alternative communication channels for children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how school-aged children with cancer represent their symptoms and self-management strategies.
• To understand the utility of draw-and-tell interviews in pediatric oncology symptom assessment.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 27 children (aged 6-12) undergoing cancer treatment.
• Qualitative analysis of drawings and accompanying explanations from draw-and-tell interviews.
• Children depicted well days and sick days, detailing symptoms and coping mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Children's drawings revealed common symptoms like nausea, fatigue, pain, and sadness.
• Frequently used self-management strategies included physical and psychosocial care.
• Detailed descriptions of symptoms and management strategies were provided through this arts-based approach.

Conclusions:

• Developmentally sensitive approaches, like drawing, enable children with cancer to articulate symptoms and management strategies.
• Healthcare providers can integrate arts-based methods for enhanced symptom assessment.
• Supporting children's preferred symptom-alleviation strategies is vital in pediatric cancer care.