A study on the impact of a clown doctor program in an adolescent inpatient psychiatric setting has found that adolescents reported heightened levels of fun, mood and emotion following the clown doctor sessions.
The research conducted at the Stepping Stones Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at Monash Children’s Hospital involved 77 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, 22 clinical staff, and 11 clown doctors from The Humour Foundation. It highlights the potential benefits of incorporating humour and play into psychiatric care.
One of the principal investigators, Discipline Senior Nursing at Early in Life Mental Health Service Chris Pavlou said despite the encouraging findings of the benefits of clown doctor programs for both patients and staff across a range of settings, to her knowledge, no prior study has investigated the impact of a clown doctor program in an adolescent inpatient psychiatric setting.
‘As adolescence is also a formative period of growth with many developmental changes that distinctively separate them from any other age group, it is important to understand whether the provision of clown doctor is age-appropriate and beneficial for inpatients of this cohort.
‘One of the things that really stood out for me is that the clown doctor visits gave the young people a bit of fresh air, it gave them a break from their mental health challenges.
‘It provided a sense of silliness which distracted them from their problems as the inpatient unit is quite intense sometimes,’ she said.
According to the study, approximately 95% of the adolescents reported having fun, with 85% stating they had more fun on days when clown doctors were present.
The 45-minute sessions, which included activities such as telling jokes, singing, playing music, and performing magic tricks, provided a welcome distraction from the challenges of psychiatric inpatient care.
The clinical staff also reported positive outcomes, with 96% believing that clown doctor visits, which were once every two weeks, were beneficial to adolescents. The sessions not only improved the adolescents’ moods but also created a more positive atmosphere in the ward.
Clown doctors were able to build rapport with the adolescents, providing a sense of connection and support that is often lacking in psychiatric settings.
The study concluded that clown doctor programs show promise within an inpatient unit and identified opportunities for further development.
Overall, Pavlou, who is also Honorary Fellow at Deakin University’s School of Psychology, said the study’s aim was to provide an overview of how clown doctor visits were experienced and perceived by adolescents, clown doctors and clinical staff and to provide practical guidelines for the further development of clown doctor programs for this population.
This study was conducted in partnership with Deakin University’s School of Psychology, the Humour Foundation, and nurses in the Adolescent Psychiatric Unit.
The Clown Doctors are regular visitors to Monash Children’s Hospital providing the many benefits of laughter where it is needed most.
