Abstract

HOSTERT, Paula Coimbra da Costa Pereira; ENUMO, Sônia Regina Fiorim  and  LOSS, Alessandra Brunoro Motta. Playing and behavior problems of children with cancer at a hospital classroom. Psicol. teor. prat. [online]. 2014, vol.16, n.1, pp. 127-140. ISSN 1516-3687.

Playing in the hospital brings benefits to the child and to the treatment. It works as a hospitalization coping strategy. This study aims at describing play choices adopted by children with cancer at hospital classrooms. Eighteen children with cancer aged between 6 and 12 participated in the study. The children were evaluated using the computerized instrument for assessing play in the hospital (APHcomp) and their parents responded to Rutter’s child behavior scale-A2 (CBS). Their favorite play activities identified by the APHcomp were: drawing, watching TV and reading comic books. Presented behavior problems and emotional problems (61.1%) – according to the CBS. Of these, problems such as headache and fear stood out. The high frequency of problems shows the importance of psychological care, which can be provided by associating play activities and psychological techniques that are adequate to the demands in the context of this disease and hospitalization. Besides, to play appear during the hospital classrooms term, which pointed to possible benefits to play in the hospital and to the treatment of these kids.

Keywords : play in the hospital; child hospitalization; child cancer; hospital classroom; coping hospitalization.

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