Puzzle Play Therapy on Reducing Anxiety Levels in Preschool Children As A Result of Hospitalization at Santo Antonius Potianak General Hospital

Yustina Riki Nazarius, Lydia Moji Lautan, Caroline Melodia Batari

Abstract

Hospitalization can cause anxiety in preschool children due to the new environment, medical procedures, and separation from parents. Anxiety can hinder the healing process and make children uncooperative. One non-pharmacological approach to overcome anxiety is play therapy, one of which is using puzzles. This study aims to determine the level of anxiety in preschool-aged children who experienced hospitalization before and after puzzle play therapy. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test non-equivalent control group design. The sample consisted of 30 preschool-aged children divided into two groups: experimental (given puzzle play therapy 3 times a week for 30 minutes) and control (not given therapy). Measurement of anxiety levels was carried out using the SCAS (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale) questionnaire before and after the intervention. Before the intervention, 53.3% of children in both groups experienced moderate anxiety, and 46.7% experienced severe anxiety. After the intervention, all children (100%) in the experimental group were in the non-anxious category, while in the control group only 20% were in the mild anxiety category and 80% were still in the moderate anxiety category. Statistical tests using the Independent Samples t-Test showed a p value <0.001, which means there was a very significant difference between the two groups. Puzzle play therapy is effective in reducing anxiety levels in preschool-aged children who are hospitalized. This intervention can be applied as a non-pharmacological therapy in pediatric care.