Seriously clowning: Medical clowning interaction with children undergoing invasive examinations in hospitals

Dafna Tener, Shoshi Ofir, Rachel Lev-Wiesel, Nessia L. Franco, Avi On

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the subjective experience of children undergoing an invasive examination in the hospital when accompanied by a medical clown. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine such children and nine of their accompanying parents. The children were patients in two outpatient departments (Pediatric Gastroenterology and a Center for the Sexually Abused) in a hospital in Israel. Interviews were coded thematically using an Atlas.ti software program. Analysis of the interviews indicated that the intervention of the clown positively changed the children’s perceptions of the hospital, of experiencing the examination, and of their life narrative. Medical clowns thus appear to be a central, meaningful, and therapeutic source for children undergoing invasive examinations in hospital, as well as for their parents. Therefore, it may be advisable to incorporate medical clowns as an integral part of medical teams performing invasive procedures and to include the clowns in all stages of the hospital visit.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)296-313
Number of pages18
JournalSocial Work in Health Care
Volume55
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 20 Apr 2016

Keywords

  • Child sexual abuse
  • invasive examinations
  • medical clowning
  • mental health
  • pediatrics
  • psychosocial intervention

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Community and Home Care

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Seriously clowning: Medical clowning interaction with children undergoing invasive examinations in hospitals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this