Evaluation of the effects of different therapeutic play methods on pre- and post-operative anxiety and acute symptoms in school-aged children aged 6-12

Evaluation of the effects of different therapeutic play methods on pre- and post-operative anxiety and acute symptoms in school-aged children aged 6-12 INTRODUCTION AND AIM: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different therapeutic play methods on anxiety and acute symptoms in children aged 6–12 years before and after surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The randomized controlled trial was conducted in the pediatric surgery clinic after obtaining ethical committee approval. Informed consent was obtained from the children and parents participating in the study. Parents completed the 'Child and Family Identification Data Form' and the 'Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory'. The children were administered the 'Children's Fear Scale', the 'State Anxiety Inventory for Children', and the 'Emotional Appearance Scale for Children'. Children in the experimental group participated in finger puppet play, virtual reality goggles, or smartphone game activities; afterwards, the 'Visual Analogue Scale', 'BARF Nausea Scale', and 'Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale' were used for vital signs and additional measurements. Additionally, the 'PedsQL Healthcare Parent Satisfaction Scale' was administered for parental assessments. FINDINGS: Demographic data were similar between groups (p>0.05). In the post-operative period, fear, anxiety, pain, nausea, and other symptom scores were found to be significantly lower in the experimental groups compared to the control group (p<0.05). In particular, a consistent decrease in anxiety and fear scores was observed in the virtual reality and finger puppet game groups. Physiological parameters such as pain, pulse, and blood pressure values were also lower in the experimental groups. No difference was found in oxygen saturation (p>0.05). Parents' PedsQL satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the experimental groups compared to the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Therapeutic play methods, particularly virtual reality and finger puppet play, are effective in reducing children's anxiety and acute symptoms during paediatric surgery and increase parental satisfaction. Keywords: Pediatric surgery, therapeutic play, surgery, virtual reality, anxiety