A Magic Therapy Program to Alleviate Anxiety in Pediatric Inpatients

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Hospitalization generates increased psychological discomfort for children and their caregivers. This anxiety can affect the patient-caretaker response to the health care team and the course of treatment. We aim to evaluate the impacts of a magic therapy program, organized and facilitated by medical students, on alleviating pediatric inpatient and caregiver anxiety. METHODS: Patients aged 5 to 16 years admitted to an inpatient pediatric unit and their caregivers were eligible for inclusion. Patient-caregiver pairs were randomly assigned to a magic therapy intervention group or a control group. Anxiety was measured before and after the intervention by using validated self-report tools. The Facial Image Scale and Venham Picture Test were used to measure anxiety for young patients, the short State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Facial Image Scale were used for older patients, and the short State-Trait Inventory was used for caregivers. A subset of the intervention group was reevaluated at 1 hour posttherapy. Health professionals were also surveyed regarding their opinions of the program. RESULTS: One hundred patients and 90 caregivers were enrolled. The patient magic group’s standardized anxiety was reduced by 25% (n = 47; P < .001) posttherapy. The caregiver magic group’s anxiety was reduced by 24% (n = 34; P < .001). Data suggest that anxiety reductions lasted through at least 1 hour posttherapy. Physicians (n = 9), nurses (n = 8), and pediatric residents (n = 20) supported program continuance, reported favorable impressions, and suggested patient, caregiver, and staff benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of a magic therapy program into pediatric inpatient care was feasible and successful in decreasing patient and caretaker anxiety. Health care professionals support the program’s continuance.

An Innovative Program Using Magic to Provide Early Clinical Experiences for Preclinical Medical Students: Goals, Experiences, and Results of the MagicAid Program

“…As reported, most trained students surveyed believed the therapy was useful for the child, parents, and staff. These findings are consistent with the previously reported opinions of physicians and nursing staff regarding MagicAid magic therapy [29] and show that students believe they are positively impacting others. Students remarked that they were able to "cheer…patients up" and that it was "good to see how happy patients" were after the interaction (Table 4).…”

“…2). On previous surveys of health professionals, 97% of providers (predominantly nurses and resident physicians) reported that student magicians were not a disturbance to patient care [29]. We conclude that the novelty of patient care and lack of experience in the inpatient setting for preclinical medical students informed this misperception.…”

“…Through this investigation, we discovered benefits in MagicAid similar to those identified in other magic programs, including increased motivation and concentration [41], increased work satisfaction and apparent improvement in energy and fatigue [42], and improved communication and public speaking skills [43]. Further, we previously published data showing our magic application improves anxiety of both pediatric patients and caregivers by approximately 25% within minutes of the therapy and suggested benefits in anxiety lasting to 1 h [29].…”

Effectiveness of Two Different Behavior Modification Techniques for Anxiety Reduction in Children

“…The results also showed a statistical reduction in Venham’s Picture test and modified visual analog scale (p=0.006 and 0.009, respectively). Similar anxiety reduction was observed in pediatric patients when magic therapy was given and evaluated using Venham’s Pictures test [ 8 ]. Also, Alparslan and Bozkurt found that the presence of medical clowns in hospitals reduces the child’s anxiety [ 15 ].…”

Effects of a Poetry Intervention on Emotional Wellbeing in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

“…Reductions in fear and worry are particularly consistent with previous interventions targeting anxiety in hospitalized pediatric patients, including magic therapy. 15 Only a few researchers have investigated the physiologic effects of poetry on the human brain and body, and it is an area for further research. In one study, researchers found college-aged participants more relaxed after reading emotionally positive poems.…”