How arts and humour can support the mental health of hospitalised children and their parents
Hospitalisation can have a strong impact on the mental health of children and their parents. Medical treatments are often accompanied by anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions. RED NOSES offers different clowning formats, such as visiting hospitalised children at their bedsides, or accompanying them in the context of invasive medical procedures. These formats aim to provide them with moments of joy and relief from their health-related struggles.
The Research Nugget “Clowning in Hospitals” compiles findings from scientific studies that have investigated how clown visits impact the mental well-being of both hospitalised children and their parents.
Multiple studies show that the arts and clowning are not only beneficial in terms of decreasing stress and anxiety but are also able to increase positive emotions and cooperation with medical staff. Parents can also benefit from the clown visits, either by enjoying the clowning intervention themselves, or by seeing their children experiencing moments of joy and happiness. This Research Nugget provides scientific evidence that Healthcare Clowning interventions can successfully provide important mental health support to hospitalised children and their parents.
You can access the full Research Nugget here
