Posıtıve Psychology-Based Art Therapy In Hospıtalızed Chıldren

Pediatric hospitalization is known to be associated with negative developmental and psychosocial outcomes for child patients. Art therapy is a way to directly address the emotional world of hospitalized children. This research is significant both scientifically and clinically as an innovative intervention aimed at reducing the negative effects of pediatric hospitalization on the psychosocial and emotional development of children. It is believed that the research will contribute to a holistic approach to nursing care and lead to the development of scientifically based interventions in clinical practice. Furthermore, this research will provide nurses with evidence-based information that can guide them in implementing and evaluating self-compassion and empathy-focused care strategies that support children's psychosocial well-being. In this respect, the research directly contributes to nursing practice and provides transferable outcomes. This research was planned to examine the effect of positive psychology-based art therapy on self-compassion and hope levels in children aged 8-12 years hospitalized in a pediatric ward. The research will be conducted as a single-blind, randomized controlled experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design at Süleyman Demirel University Research and Application Hospital between June and December 31, 2026. Prior to the research, permission will be obtained from the scale administrators, participants, parents, ethics committee, and the institution. The sample will consist of 80 individuals (40 in the intervention group and 40 in the control group) who meet the inclusion criteria, are selected using simple randomization, and provide informed consent. The control group will receive no intervention; the pre-test will be administered on the first day, and the post-test on the day the intervention for the experimental group ends. The intervention group will receive art therapy three days a week for a total of five sessions; the pre-test will be administered on the first day, and the post-test on the last session. Data will be collected using the Personal Information Form (PIF), the Children's Hope Scale (CHS), and the Children's Self-Compassion Scale (CSCS). Data will be analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Program for Social Sciences) statistical analysis software package, and statistical significance will be accepted as p \<0.05.