The Life Threatened Child and the Life Enhancing Clown: Towards a Model of Therapeutic Clowning

Abstract

In the last decade, there has been a rapid growth in the presence of clowns in hospitals, particularly in pediatric settings. The proliferation of clowns in health care settings has resulted in varying levels of professionalism and accountability. For this reason, there is a need to examine various forms of clowning, in particular therapeutic clowning in pediatric settings. The purpose of this article is to address what therapeutic clowning is and to describe the extent to which it can provide a complementary form of health care. In an attempt to apply theory to practice, the article will draw upon the experiences of a therapeutic clown within a pediatric setting while providing a historical and theoretical account of how clowns came to be in hospitals. Toward this end, a proposed model of therapeutic clowning will be offered which can be adapted for a variety of settings where children require specialized forms of play in order to enhance their coping, development and adjustment to life changes. Finally, current research on clowning in children's hospitals will be reviewed including a summary of findings from surveys administered at the Hospital for Sick Children.

Clowning as a Complementary Approach for Reducing Iatrogenic Effects in Pediatrics

“…First established in the US in 1986 by professional clown Michael Christensen, therapeutic clowning has since become a popular practice in hospitals worldwide, especially with, but not limited to, children [13,14]. The main aim is to distract patients during the preoperative period [14,15] and during medical procedures [16], induce positive emotions, and decrease negative emotions in order to demystify medicine and help in the healing process [12].…”

The effects of clown intervention on worries and emotional responses in children undergoing surgery

“…Based on the assumption that humor is associated with the well-being of patients (Bennett & Lengacher, 2006a, 2006bMartin, 2001;Stuber, et al, 2007), there has been an increase in interventions provided by "clown doctors" in pediatric settings (Koller & Gryski, 2008). The few existing studies concerning clown intervention suggests a decrease in the child's and the parent's distress and an increase in children's cooperation with medical procedures (Golan, Dobija, Lazar, & Keidan, 2007;Smerling, et al, 1999;Vagnoli, Bastiani, Turchi, Caprilli, & Messeri, 2007;Vagnoli, Caprilli, Robiglio, & Messeri, 2005).…”

Palhaços: uma revisão acerca do uso dessa máscara no ambiente hospitalarPayasos: una revisiónsobre el uso de esa máscara en el ambiente hospitalario

“…The gags -short sentences, jokes or gestures that do not need a previous understanding to be funny -besides toys for the accomplishment of the scenic game, juggling techniques, magics, music played live and balloon sculpture 33 are the more commom resources 27 . In some cases, the necessary training for the acquisition of the abilities used in the interventions can take up to three years 36 .…”