Background: Hospitalized children face pain and anxiety associated with the environment and procedures.
Objective: This review aimed to assess the impact of music, play, pet and art therapies on pain and anxiety in hospitalized paediatric patients. RCTs assessing the impact of music, play, pet, and/or art therapies on pain and/or anxiety in hospitalized paediatric patients were eligible.
Methods: Database searching and citation screening was completed to identify studies. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize study findings and certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Of the 761 documents identified, 29 were included spanning music (n = 15), play (n = 12), and pet (n = 3) therapies.
Results: A high certainty of evidence supported play in reducing pain and moderate certainty for music and pet. A moderate certainty of evidence supported music and play in reducing anxiety.
Conclusion: Complementary therapies utilized alongside conventional medical treatment may mitigate pain and anxiety in hospitalized paediatric patients.
Keywords: Animal-assisted therapy; Art therapy; Child health; Complementary therapies; Music therapy; Play therapy; Procedural Pain Management.
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