The Impacts of a Clown Doctor Program on an Adolescent Psychiatric Unit: A Mixed Methods Investigation

Overview

Journal Child Psychiatry Hum Dev

Specialties Pediatrics
Psychiatry

Date 2023 May 25

PMID 37227620

Authors

Glenn Melvin

Jovell Ling Hofmann

Christine Pavlou

Sinh Lu

Stephanie Verstandig

Ashleigh Taylor

Deandra Desilva

Lauren Cameron

Subhadra Evans

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Inpatient psychiatric care may be required to manage adolescents with severe mental health problems. As the ward can be a challenging environment, this study explored the influence of clown doctors on adolescents. Seventy-seven adolescents (13-18 years) and 22 staff from the Monash Health Stepping Stones Adolescent Unit, and 11 clown doctors from The Humour Foundation participated in the study. Bespoke surveys were developed by the research team to collect quantitative self-report data and qualitative responses. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis suggested that adolescents experienced high levels of fun as well as positive mood during a clown doctor session. Clown doctor programs show promise within an inpatient unit with opportunities for further development being identified. With considerations of the findings, future clown doctor training could include tailoring sessions to the developmental needs of adolescents and developing strategies on how to interact with adolescents who have a mental health disorder.

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