Use of Play Therapy in Educating Asthmatic and Diabetic Pediatric Patients: A Pilot Clinical Project at a Private Tertiary Setting in Karachi, Pakistan

Play therapy is one of the strategies to address behavioural issues among sick and hospitalized children diagnosed with chronic diseases. In the Pakistani Pediatric settings, where pediatric hospitalized patients diagnosed with chronic disease are not commonly told about their treatment regimen, noncompliant behaviour and adjustment issues are common. Considering this gap, a pilot play therapy project was initiated at the inpatient and outpatient pediatric settings of a private tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. This project aimed at introducing play therapy as an educational strategy for Diabetic and Asthmatic children to make them aware about their disease process, management plans, and life style modifications. After the play therapy sessions, it was noticed that these children who were previously fearful, anxious, and had no knowledge about their disease process, were able to verbalize about their disease and to demonstrate the correct technique of inhaler use and insulin administration on dolls and then on self.