engleski

Creative and art/expressive therapy as complementary approach at the children's hospital hematology/oncology department: Excerpts from case studies

In terms of modern approaches to psychosocial oncology and sophrology, the paper shows some experiences with creative and art/expressive therapies used as complementary approaches to complex treatment and rehabilitation of a 12-year- old girl with the clinical picture of a pilocytic astrocytoma with neurofibromatosis, and a 14-year- old boy with an osteosarcoma of the right maxilla. The study was conducted at the Hematology/Oncology Department, Children's Hospital, Zagreb. The assessment was performed using the six-variable model of BASIC Ph, self-report measures of stress reaction including the Aqua test, and visual art expression (drawings and mandala colorigrams) to analyze the child's latent (introspective) psychoemotional experiences during therapy. Original data for controlled variables were processed using the INDIFF analysis of changes. The study results demonstrate the value of including complementary supportive therapies to develop coping mechanisms and improve the quality of life of the child. The excerpts from case studies were prepared as part of a scientific research project on "Complementary Supportive Therapies and Development of Life Potentials", supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia.

malignant disease; coping mechanisms; art/expressive psychotherapies; rehabilitation; psychosocial oncology

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