Symptoms and Self-Management Strategies Identified by Children With Cancer Using Draw-and-Tell Interviews

Purpose This cross-sectional study described how school-aged children with cancer represent their symptoms and associated characteristics using draw-and-tell interviews. Participants & setting 27 children aged 6-12 years receiving treatment for cancer at the Cancer Transplant Center at Primary Children's Hospital, a tertiary pediatric hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Methodologic approach Children participated in draw-and-tell interviews while completing drawings depicting days when they felt well and days when they felt sick. Children's drawings and accompanying explanations were analyzed qualitatively. Findings Children's drawings related symptoms and the strategies children used to self-manage those symptoms. Nausea, fatigue, pain, and sadness were the most frequently reported symptoms. Strategies to manage symptoms most often included physical and psychosocial care strategies. Implications for nursing Children with cancer were able to relate detailed descriptions of their symptoms and symptom self-management strategies when presented with developmentally sensitive approaches. Healthcare providers are well positioned to integrate arts-based approaches to symptom assessment and to support children in implementing their preferred strategies to alleviate symptoms.