Playfulness Among Hospitalised Paediatric Patients: A Protocol of Quantitative Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Hospitalisation; Pain Relief; Play Therapy; Alleviating Anxiety; Behavioral Therapy; Day Hospital Care The healthcare condition or domain in your study refers to the cluster of emotional, psychological, and physical challenges that children experience specifically as a result of hospitalisation, including heightened anxiety, increased pain, behavioural distress such as crying or withdrawal, and difficulties coping with unfamiliar environments, invasive procedures, and separation from caregivers; in this context, your PICO framework focuses on hospitalised paediatric patients who are experiencing these hospitalisation‑related stress responses, recognising that the clinical issue being addressed is not a disease but the psychological and emotional impact of hospital stays, and the goal of the intervention—playfulness‑based therapeutic activities—is to reduce anxiety and pain, enhance emotional well‑being, and support adaptive coping within the paediatric inpatient setting