Abstract

SILVA, Flor de Maria Araújo Mendonça; SILVA, Silvana Maria Moura da; NASCIMENTO, Maria do Desterro Soares Brandão  and  SANTOS, Sinara Marques dos. Palliative care: benefits of playtherapy in children hospitalized with cancer. Bol. - Acad. Paul. Psicol. [online]. 2010, vol.30, n.1, pp. 168-183. ISSN 1415-711X.

Analyzing the psychological benefits of a work done by play therapy technique as palliative care in children hospitalized with cancer. This essay comprehends a clinical trial with experimental analytical conjugated design. Two kinds of psychological research esassessments with children were performed; first before starting the process of intervention through play therapy and another at the end of the process, comparing the results of both evaluations. The quantitative data were analyzed by the statistical program, SPSS for Windows 16.0 (2007). The descriptive statistics analysis was made by the Signal Test. The level of significance was p < 0,05. The results about evaluated behavioral, social, psychic defense and psychosomatic disturbances evaluated have corresponded respectively to: p = 0.508; p = 0.754; p = 0.016; p = 1. Presented in the statistical analysis of variables, the results show that the play therapy as a palliative care in hospitalized children with cancer presented significant benefits in variable psychological defenses.

Keywords : Playtherapy; Palliative care; Pediatric cancer.

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