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Effectiveness of Hospital Play Interventions Program in Reducing Anxiety and Negative Emotions among Hospitalized Children in Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Hospitalization is a traumatic and frightening experience, which can be emotionally overwhelming to
children who suddenly have to leave the acquainted place of their home and the persons who are
important to them. However, there is an imperative need for rigorous pragmatic enquiry of the
effectiveness of hospital play interventions, in using play activities to ease the emotional burden of
hospitalized children in the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the
effectiveness of play interventions in reducing anxiety and negative emotion among hospitalized
children in a selected hospital, in Ras Al-Khaimah. United Arab Emirates. Quasi-experimental pretest
and posttest control design. Eighty one participants were recruited consecutively from two pediatric
medical wards selected using consecutive sampling. Play activities were performed on forty-one
children added to standard care between the ages of 3 and 12 years while forty children received only
standard care. Children who received the hospital play interventions demonstrated reduced negative
emotions and lower levels of anxiety than those children who received the routine care alone. Play
intervention was effective in reducing anxiety level and negative emotions among hospitalized
children. Children are very treasurable being. Irrespective of limitations, this study addressed
bridging a gap in the literature by providing empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of play
interventions in reducing anxiety and negative emotions in hospitalized children.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.37628/ijnspr.v7i2.1890
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