Development and Evaluation of a Self-Care Program Based on Art Therapy for Mothers Caring for Hospitalized Children with Childhood Cancer: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to develop a self-care program based on art therapy to relieve the psychological stress of mothers caring for hospitalized children with childhood cancer and to evaluate the program’s effect. @*Methods@#The program consisted of four sessions. Each session consisted of ‘my safe place,’ a ‘wheel of emotions,’ a ‘landscape of emotions,’ and a ‘dream catcher’.A total of six mothers participated, and their degree of depression, anxiety, and acute stress disorder was measured before and after the intervention program. In each session, the participants drew pictures according to the topic and consulted with an art psychotherapist. @*Results@#The four sessions of the self-care program based on art therapy were not able to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress levels. However, through the art therapy program, mothers expressed negative emotions through pictures and turned negative emotions into positive ones. @*Conclusion@#The psychological stress of mothers caring for children with childhood cancer should be cared for. Further research will be needed to develop and implement various programs that can care for the psychological stress of mothers caring for children with childhood cancer.