Melvin Glenn, Hofmann Jovell Ling, Pavlou Christine, Lu Sinh, Verstandig Stephanie, Taylor Ashleigh, Desilva Deandra, Cameron Lauren, Evans Subhadra
Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
Early in Life Mental Health Service, Monash Health, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2025 Feb;56(1):142-152. doi: 10.1007/s10578-023-01545-6. Epub 2023 May 25.
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.
对于患有严重心理健康问题的青少年，可能需要住院精神科护理。由于病房环境可能具有挑战性，本研究探讨了小丑医生对青少年的影响。来自莫纳什健康青少年过渡单元的77名青少年（13 - 18岁）、22名工作人员以及来自幽默基金会的11名小丑医生参与了该研究。研究团队设计了定制调查问卷，以收集定量的自我报告数据和定性反馈。描述性统计和主题分析表明，青少年在小丑医生诊疗期间体验到了高度的乐趣以及积极的情绪。小丑医生项目在住院单元显示出了前景，同时也发现了有待进一步发展的机会。考虑到研究结果，未来小丑医生培训可包括根据青少年的发展需求调整诊疗环节，以及制定与患有精神健康障碍的青少年互动的策略。
