Dance, pottery, collage, drawing, painting… These creative hobbies help children and adolescents with cancer in their care journey. According to a recent study, these activities allow them more precisely to cope with the symptoms of the disease.
- In France, 2,200 children aged 0 to 17 are affected by cancer each year.
- The survival of children and adolescents with this disease has improved very significantly and now exceeds 80%, all cancers combined.
“Children affected by cancer suffer from distress and a decrease in their quality of life”, said researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder (USA). According to Jennifer Raybin, who directed work published in the journal Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursingcreative activities have the ability to help these young patients through the difficult times they may experience during their treatment.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists recruited 98 children aged 3 to 18 and their parents. Of the 83 participants included in the final analysis, 18 did not benefit from art therapy, 32 did some creative activities and 33 did several. Among the activities carried out by the young volunteers were the making of mini-dolls, the reuse of artistic masks, the realization of movements using props such as balloons, scarves and a parachute to adapt to loss of physical functions, and the application of yoga breathing exercises to control pain.
A link between art therapy and a better quality of life in children with cancer
According to the results, a significant improvement in the quality of life was observed in patients who had done several creative hobbies. The researchers found that these patients’ posture seemed to change several times during their treatment, reflecting their changing mood and improved self-esteem. According to the study, art therapy also helped alleviate symptoms of the disease, such as pain and nausea.
These young patients “are so tired of taking medication for their symptoms. It’s important to think about the mind-body connection and any kind of complementary therapies we could add to help them deal with the physical and psychological symptoms,” explained Jennifer Raybin in a statement.
“Curing cancer is not enough. Art therapy helps patients deal with the physical and psychological issues associated with this serious disease, while providing a pleasant aspect to a difficult treatment”, added the researcher.
