Abstract
Psychological treatment, in addition to medical treatment, is often necessary for children with chronic diseases because they are likely to show neurotic symptoms owing to their long term physical and mental suffering. It has been found that children having neurotic symptoms need professional intervention for improved mental health and self-expression. The author has developed a play therapy using the "English Approach" as a nurses' intervention for the children. The subjects of this study are 27 primary school children who are either inpatients or outpatients of two hospitals which have their own schools for sick children. The tests conducted were the Yatabe-Guilford Personality inventory, the Picture-Fustration Study, the Baum Test, and the Landscape Montage Technique. Each test was conducted two times, once before and once following the intervention. The results confirmed that the children's mental and psychological conditions improved. Children can receive this type of approach easily, especially from their closer nurses. The present study shows that, in addition to standard medical duties, nurses can be of use in mental illness prevention, early detection and treatment, by applying this approach in close cooperation with medical and psychological experts.
