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Therapeutic recreation programmes for children with epilepsy
Insights
Therapeutic recreation programs significantly improve self-concept and self-esteem in children with epilepsy. These programs also enhance learning and treatment compliance, helping children accept their condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Childhood Epilepsy Management
- Recreational Therapy
Background:
- Children with epilepsy often experience negative self-concept and low self-esteem.
- Chronic conditions like epilepsy increase susceptibility to psychopathology.
- Social development involves continuous self-assessment, impacting self-concept.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic recreation programs in improving self-concept and self-esteem in children with epilepsy.
- To assess the impact of educational components on learning and treatment compliance.
- To explore the role of therapeutic recreation in enhancing epilepsy acceptance.
Main Methods:
- Pre- and post-intervention assessment using the Piers-Harris Self Concept Scale.
- Utilizing the Adolescent Psychosocial Seizure Inventory for older adolescents (over 13).
- Implementation of therapeutic recreation programs with educational components.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements observed in children's self-concept and self-esteem post-intervention.
- Demonstrated increases in learning and adherence to long-term medication regimens.
- Evidence suggests therapeutic recreation positively influences self-concept in adolescents with epilepsy.
Conclusions:
- Therapeutic recreation programs are effective interventions for negative self-concept in children with epilepsy.
- Educational elements enhance patient understanding and treatment compliance.
- Therapeutic recreation offers a viable approach to improving psychosocial well-being in pediatric epilepsy.
Abstract:
Amongst children with epilepsy, research has shown that most have a negative self-concept and consequently a low level of self-esteem. This elusive concept of the self is constantly being assessed and reassessed by each child throughout the process of social development. Early literature has suggested that children with disabilities, especially chronic medical or biological disabilities, typified by epilepsy and diabetes, are more susceptible to the development of psychopathology and negative self-concepts. This paper reports that intervention in the form of therapeutic recreation programmes can help rectify this problem of negative self-concept and low self-esteem in children with epilepsy. The Piers-Harris Self Concept Scale, a Self Report Inventory on six dimensions of self-concept, was assessed both pre- and post-therapeutic recreational intervention to show significant improvement in the child's self-concept and acceptance of their epilepsy. Educational components within the programme have demonstrated significant learning and increased treatment compliance--particularly with long-term medications. The Adolescent Psychosocial Seizure Inventory, an adolescent version of the Washington Psycho-Social Seizure Inventory (WPSI), both of which have been validated as a reliable clinical assessment for use in Australia, has provided further evidence to suggest that improvements occur in children's self-concept as a consequence of therapeutic recreation, however use of this protocol appears limited to adolescents over the age of 13 years.