PURPOSE: Shop Talk is a therapeutic board game for children and adolescents with cancer, aimed at helping them talk about their disease, life, and emotions in a creative way and in a secure setting. The scope of this study was to translate Shop Talk into Italian, evaluating its acceptability, feasibility, and emotional impact. METHODS: The game board, question cards, and game instructions were translated into Italian from the original English-Spanish version. A sample of 30 pediatric patients aged 7-18 with cancer were enrolled and assigned to one of the following play settings: individual setting, caregiver setting, group setting. The patients' affectivity was assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the game session using PANAS-C. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed at T1 using a specifically designed questionnaire. RESULTS: The patients' acceptability and feasibility perception scores were high. Statistical analyses showed a significant decrease of the negative affect and a significant increase of the positive affect in patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the patients involved appreciated the game and its content, purpose, and use. In addition, the game session with Shop Talk had a positive impact on the players' affectivity. Therefore, Shop Talk can be considered a useful tool for psychologists working with pediatric cancer patients in Italy.
PURPOSE: Shop Talk is a therapeutic board game for children and adolescents with cancer, aimed at helping them talk about their disease, life, and emotions in a creative way and in a secure setting. The scope of this study was to translate Shop Talk into Italian, evaluating its acceptability, feasibility, and emotional impact. METHODS: The game board, question cards, and game instructions were translated into Italian from the original English-Spanish version. A sample of 30 pediatric patients aged 7-18 with cancer were enrolled and assigned to one of the following play settings: individual setting, caregiver setting, group setting. The patients' affectivity was assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the game session using PANAS-C. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed at T1 using a specifically designed questionnaire. RESULTS: The patients' acceptability and feasibility perception scores were high. Statistical analyses showed a significant decrease of the negative affect and a significant increase of the positive affect in patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the patients involved appreciated the game and its content, purpose, and use. In addition, the game session with Shop Talk had a positive impact on the players' affectivity. Therefore, Shop Talk can be considered a useful tool for psychologists working with pediatric cancerpatients in Italy.
Authors: Meghan L Marsac; Aimee K Hildenbrand; Kathleen Clawson; Leela Jackson; Kristen Kohser; Lamia Barakat; Nancy Kassam-Adams; Richard Aplenc; Anne Vinsel; Melissa A Alderfer Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2012-05-10 Impact factor: 3.603