Art Therapy: Healing Benefits for Pediatric Patients in Healthcare Settings - Research Paper

Introduction

The paper provides researched literature on the impacts of art on pediatric patients in the hospital. It shows how the patients benefit from art, how art affects their healing and process of mental well-being as well as the conclusion from these impacts. The artwork has been assumed to have therapeutic benefits in healing patients. Healthcare facilities focus on the psychological and physiological well-being of the children in their setting and hence identify the associated elements in their environment that would support a reduction of stress in them (Lopez-Bushnell & Berg, 2018). This way, it is necessary that the healthcare setting understands the kind of art that pediatric patients prefer to improve their mood and impact their negative thoughts.

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The power of arts is useful in facilitating the healing of patients through creative self-expression. When the children have creative encounters, they can reflect on their behavioural change, generate new perspectives hence increasing the meaning of life (Eisen et al., 2008). It tends to facilitate positive experiences in the life of the individual that improve their levels of self-esteem. Such also stimulates a spiritual connection among them while providing better opportunities to express themselves of their suppressed feelings, difficulties with insomnia, and withdrawal. All these enable the child to relieve themselves of discomfort.

There is the art that emphasizes the importance of patient interaction, maybe in their groups or bedside. There are also other programs that have local musicians performing for the patients and families with the goal to humanize the medical environment (Elliott & McClaskey, 2019). The children thus feel better in the hospital as they view it like other facilities where they get to enjoy, only that this time they are unwell.

There is a close interface between child life programming and art therapy. These two disciplines can collaborate while working towards optimal adjustments for the patients as well as the families. The child specialist and the art therapist function to translate experience for pediatric patients. They all seek to stimulate the imagination of the child as well as foster a safe space for transitioning (Deeb et al., 2016). This way, the area becomes efficient in helping to ensure creative expression and the children can talk about their experience of illness with issues of pain and fear. The therapist has the responsibility of assisting the children in exploring the art and shaping their exposure to one where they cope with the illness.

Generally, the children indicate a physiologic relaxation on the types of art presented to them. Over time, there is a consistent decrease in the heart rate, and the oxygen saturation levels increase. They do not reveal pain at the time of the activity, meaning that they enjoy the creative workshops. Most importantly, children have a unique space to express how they feel about themselves through art. Making the hospital environment friendlier generally helps in the mental well-being of pediatric patients (Hamdan et al., 2016). Despite the psychological challenges that the pediatric patients face in the hospitals such as restriction of freedom, violation of trust and painful procedures in an unfamiliar setting, they develop coping skills with art therapy. The children assimilate new experiences and generate accommodation in the new environment where they fit for the procedures.

References

Deeb, A. L., Grunvald, M. W., Leon, D. A., Manyak, A., Miller, L. R., Veilleux, K. M., ... & Eldakar-Hein, S. (2016). Effects of Art Intervention on Pediatric Anxiety and Pain in the Medical Setting. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1224&context=comphp_gallery

Eisen, S. L., Ulrich, R. S., Shepley, M. M., Varni, J. W., & Sherman, S. (2008). The stress-reducing effects of art in pediatric health care: art preferences of healthy children and hospitalized children. Journal of Child Health Care, 12(3), 173-190. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23147858_The_stress-reducing_effects_of_art_in_pediatric_health_care_Art_preferences_of_healthy_children_and_hospitalized_children

Elliott, R., & McClaskey, B. (2019). Pediatric Hospital Environments: Do They Make a Difference? Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=posters_2019

Hamdan, A. B., AlShammary, S., Tamani, J. C., Peethambaran, S., Hussein, M., & AlHarbi, M. (2016). The impact of creating a child-friendly hospital environment in pediatric cancer patients and their families in comprehensive cancer center at King Fahad medical city. Current Pediatric Research. Retrieved from http://www.currentpediatrics.com/articles/articles/the-impact-of-creating-a-childfriendly-hospital-environment-in-pediatric-cancer-patients-and-their-families-in-comprehensive-cance.html

Lopez-Bushnell, F. K., & Berg, M. (2018). Effects of Art Experience on Hospitalized Pediatric Patients. MJ Pedi, 3(1), A013. Retrieved from https://www.mathewsopenaccess.com/scholarly-articles/effects-of-art-experience-on-hospitalized-pediatric-patients1.pdf