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Exploring the Potential of a Pretend Play Intervention in Young Patients With Leukemia

Stefanie Witt1, Gabriele Escherich2, Stefan Rutkowski2

  • 1University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology, Hamburg, Germany.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|December 4, 2018
PubMed

Insights

This study explored parents' and professionals' views on play for children with leukemia, finding pretend play interventions can aid coping and creative expression during treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Child Psychology
  • Childhood Cancer Research

Background:

  • Children with cancer face unique challenges impacting their development.
  • Pretend play is a crucial developmental tool for children.
  • Understanding parental and professional perspectives is vital for supportive interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore parents' and professionals' perceptions of resources, burdens, and pretend play abilities in children with cancer.
  • To inform the development of a pretend play intervention tailored to children's needs and stakeholder feedback.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews.
  • 13 parents of children with leukemia and 15 pediatric oncology professionals participated.
  • Content analysis using deductive and inductive coding identified key themes.

Main Results:

  • Five themes emerged: ability to play with leukemia, coping mechanisms, transition challenges, parental quality of life and needs, and perceptions of pretend play's potential.
  • Parents and professionals recognized the value of pretend play for children with leukemia.
  • Identified needs for enhanced parental support and resources.

Conclusions:

  • Pretend play interventions show promise for improving young cancer patients' coping and creative expression.
  • There is a clear need for increased professional support for parents of children with cancer.
  • Enhancing children's ability to engage in pretend play can foster resilience and adaptive skills.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenParentsPediatric oncologyPretend play interventionProfessionals

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