Effect of therapeutic play on pre- and post-operative anxiety and emotional responses in Hong Kong Chinese children: a randomised controlled trial.

Surgery, in particular the preparation procedure for anaesthesia, can be very stressful for children and has a profound effect.1,2 Excessive anxiety and stress can affect children’s physical and mental well-being, hinder their ability to cope with surgery, and inhibit their postoperative recovery. Psychological needs of children are seldom taken into consideration. In a study of paediatric day surgery in Hong Kong Chinese children, the preoperative anxiety level of the children was high, despite having received information on preand post-operative care.1 Therapeutic play intervention in preparing children for hospitalisation and medical procedures has increased. Nevertheless, studies to assess the implementation potential of therapeutic play intervention, including the transferability, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness, in preparing children for surgery in Hong Kong clinical settings are lacking. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of therapeutic play intervention in preparing children undergoing elective surgery and assess the implementation potential of such intervention in Hong Kong clinical settings.