title: A clinical tool for evaluating emotional well-being: self-drawings of hospitalized children.
abstract: This study investigated how the emotional wellbeing of children with congenital heart defect (CHD) hospitalized for heart surgery was expressed in self-drawings before and after their surgical treatment. A sample of 293 children produced self-drawings (hospitalized n=168, non-hospitalized n=125). The results indicate significant differences between drawings by hospitalized compared to non-hospitalized children, including size, color and omission of body parts. These differences were interpreted in line with previous analyses of projective drawing. We conclude that self-drawing evaluation is a useful tool to reveal insights into emotional wellbeing, promoting safe and easy communication.
authors.affiliation: Ilia State University, JoAnn Medical Center, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Khatuna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dolidze
authors.forename: Emma L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tchanturia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001154:Art; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D011173:Portraits as Topic
keywords: Children's drawings; Congenital heart defects; Emotional well-being of surgical children; Heart surgery; Hospitalized children; Projective drawings