NCT07418515

Impact of Therapeutic Storytelling on Fear, Screen Time, and Parental Stress Among Hospitalized Children

Impact of Therapeutic Storytelling on Fear, Screen Time, and Parental Stress Among Hospitalized Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 44 (actual)
• Sponsor: Karabuk University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 4 Years – 6 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether therapeutic story reading reduces fear levels, problematic media use, and parental stress in hospitalized preschool children. It will also examine the effectiveness of this intervention when integrated into routine nursing care. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does therapeutic story reading reduce children's fear of nursing interventions and medical materials? Does therapeutic story reading reduce problematic media use in hospitalized children? Does therapeutic story reading reduce parental stress levels? Researchers will compare a therapeutic story reading intervention to routine care to determine whether the intervention improves psychological outcomes in hospitalized children and their parents. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group Complete baseline assessments before the intervention (Intervention group) Participate in therapeutic story reading sessions for three consecutive days (Control group) Receive routine hospital care Complete post-intervention assessments after the study period Children's fear levels will be assessed using the Fear of Children Against Nursing Interventions and Used Materials Scale (FCANIM). Parental outcomes will be measured using the Problematic Media Use Measure (PMUM) and the Parental Stress Scale (PSS).

Conditions

• Hospitalized Children
• Parent Stress

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Therapeutic Story Telling	The intervention consists of a structured, developmentally appropriate therapeutic story reading program designed specifically for hospitalized preschool children (4-6 years of age). The program is implemented individually in the child's hospital room over three consecutive days, with one therapeutic storybook read per day. The distinguishing features of this intervention are: (1)its structured and sequential delivery during hospitalization, (2)the use of carefully selected therapeutic storybooks targeting fear of nursing interventions, hospital equipment, and emotional expression, and (3)its implementation under the supervision of a pediatric nursing specialist to ensure consistency and therapeutic intent. Unlike routine care, the intervention systematically addresses children's hospitalization-related fears and emotional responses. The content of the selected books is developmentally appropriate and suitable for helping children understand medical procedures (e.g., fever management).
OTHER	routine care	Participants in the routine care arm received routine pediatric ward care without therapeutic story reading sessions.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-06-01
• Primary completion: 2025-12-01
• Completion: 2025-12-04
• First posted: 2026-02-18
• Last updated: 2026-02-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)