Do Clown Visits Improve Psychological and Sense of Physical Well-being of Hospitalized Pediatric Patients? A Randomized-controlled Trial

Abstract

The study tested whether clown visits would be associated with an increase in psychological and perceived physical well-being of pediatric patients. Patients (6–14 years old) were randomized to a clown visit (n=50) or no-visit control (n=50). Patients and parents were administered a modified version of the KINDL-R questionnaire at pretest, immediately after the clown visit (posttest), and at a 4-h follow-up. The experimental group showed an increase in self-reported and parent-reported psychological well-being at posttest. However, these effects were not maintained at follow-up. There was no effect of the clown visit on perceived physical well-being. It is concluded that clown visits appear to improve psychological well-being of pediatric patients, but the effects may only be short lived.

Zusammenfassung

Die vorliegende Studie testete, ob Clownbesuche mit Verbesserungen des psychischen und wahrgenommenen körperlichen Befindens von pädiatrischen Patienten einhergehen. Patienten (6–14 Jahre) wurden per Zufall einem Clownbesuch (n=50) und einer Kontrollbedingung (n=50) zugeordnet. Die Patienten und Eltern füllten eine modifizierte Version des Kindl-R-Fragebogens zum Prätest, unmittelbar nach dem Clownbesuch (Posttest) und 4 Stunden später (Follow-up) aus. Die Experimentalgruppe zeigte sowohl in den Selbst- und Elternberichten eine Verbesserung des psychischen Befindens im Posttest, die allerdings nicht im Follow-up Bestand hatte. Veränderungen im wahrgenommenen körperlichen Befinden traten nicht auf. Geschlussfolgert wird, dass Clownbesuche das Befinden verbessern können, der Effekt aber nur kurze Zeit Bestand hat.

Key words

clinic clowns - therapeutic clowning - pediatric patients - psychological well-being - physical well-being

Schlüsselwörter

Klinikclowns - therapeutische Clownbesuche - pädiatrische Patienten - psychisches Befinden - körperliches Befinden

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