PURPOSE

The study aimed to examine the effects of a cartoon text version of a health education manual with sandplay on the psychological status and cognitive function of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHODS

Eighty cases of children with ADHD admitted from February 2019 to September 2021 were selected for the study. They were numbered according to the order of consultation, and after obtaining family consent, they were divided into the control group ( = 40) and the observation group ( = 40) using the random number table method. The control group received only medication and verbal health education, while the observation group received a cartoon text version of the health education manual together with sandplay on top of the above, and both groups were treated for 30 weeks. The attention test results and the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-IV rating scales (SNAP-IV) were used to assess the effectiveness of the treatment for both groups of children. The awareness rate of health education knowledge of children and their families in both groups was counted. The Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Combined Raven's test (CRT) were used to assess the psychological status and cognitive functioning of the children in both groups.

RESULTS

After treatment, the response time, the number of errors, and the number of missed alarms in the attention test results were lower in the observation group than in the control group ( < 0.05). After treatment, the inattention, antagonism and defiance, and impulsiveness and hyperactivity scores on SNAP-IV were lower in the observation group than in the control group ( < 0.05). After treatment, the knowledge of disease and treatment, medical and nursing cooperation, safety and protection, and dietary precautions were higher in the observation group than in the control group ( < 0.05). After treatment, the learning problems, conduct problems, psychosomatic problems, anxiety, impulsivity-hyperactivity, and hyperactivity index scores on the PSQ were lower in the observation group than in the control group ( < 0.05). After treatment, the A, B, C, D, and E theme scores in the CRT were higher in the observation group than in the control group, and the IQ score was also higher in the observation group than in the control group ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The cartoon text version of the health education manual with sandplay can significantly improve the attention deficit, hyperactive behaviour, psychological status, and cognitive function of children with ADHD on the basis of pharmacological treatment, which has a good clinical application.