Therapeutic clowning in paediatric practice

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, there has been much research into the health benefits of humour and laughter. Although often viewed very positively, rigorous evaluation of the therapeutic effect of clowning is complex. Clowning is a multi-modal intervention, which may have an impact on medical conditions, procedures, family functioning and health care teams. Clowns help children to adapt to their hospital surroundings and can distract from, and demystify, painful or frightening procedures through 'doses of fun' to complement traditional clinical interventions. This paper provides a review of the paediatric literature and reveals studies looking at the effect of clown interventions on various practical procedures and individual medical conditions, and the effects of clowning within clinical teams.

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“…members of professional healthcare teams, as they provide targeted empathetic care to compliment the work of other medical personnel [6]. A study in England showed a majority of pediatricians believed clown doctors have a positive impact on children; this same study showed that even though many members of the healthcare staff personally did not like clowns, they still perceived they were having a positive impact [7].…”

Feeling happy and carefree: a qualitative study on the experiences of parents, medical clowns and healthcare professionals with medical clowns

“…The presence of a clown has been found to reduce the child’s anxiety (Dionigi, Sangiorgi, & Flangini, 2014; Felluga et al, 2016; Goldberg et al, 2014; Kocherov et al, 2016; Meiri, Ankri, Hamad-Saied, Konopnicki, & Pillar, 2016; Messina et al, 2014; Vagnoli, Caprilli, & Messeri, 2010; Vagnoli, Caprilli, Robiglio, & Messeri, 2005; Weintraub et al, 2014) and feelings of boredom, loneliness and sadness (Finlay, Baverstock, & Lenton, 2014; Mansson, Elfving, Petersson, Wahl, & Tunell, 2013; Meiri et al, 2016). Also, a few studies showed that a clown intervention is able to reduce anxiety in parents (Agostini et al, 2014; Fernandes & Arriaga, 2010; Wolyniez et al, 2013).…”

Palhaços: uma revisão acerca do uso dessa máscara no ambiente hospitalarPayasos: una revisiónsobre el uso de esa máscara en el ambiente hospitalario

“…Although there is no age group predilection for the stress inherent to the hospital enviroment, the clowns' work has been associated mainly to children 10,12,17,[27][28][29]34 , reaching only in a secondary way the adults, companions or professionals who work in the hospital 3,9,25,35 .…”

“…The clowns in the hospital resignify structures, functions, people and objects so that they transform the whole hospital environment, benefitting not only the patients, but all those involved in this condition momentarily or definitively subverted: patient, companion and even the own team of the healthcare 3,6,[23][24][25] . This breakdown of the traditional environment of the hospital and its ressignification are the base of most of the projects that act with the clown's language in the hospital, and they bring with themselves the humor besides the laughter through the creation of a "world between the real and the imaginary" that allows showing imagination and creativity 23 .…”