Zhang C, Pang JG, Wang MW, Bi D, Fu YX. Therapeutic play-based guidance for children with pneumonia: Impact on treatment compliance, anxiety, and fear. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(10): 120072 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.120072]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yong-Xing Fu, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, No. 4138 Linglongshan South Road, Weifang 262500, Shandong Province, China. 15095263668@163.com
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Psychology
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research-article
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Zhang C, Pang JG, Wang MW, Bi D, Fu YX. Therapeutic play-based guidance for children with pneumonia: Impact on treatment compliance, anxiety, and fear. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(10): 120072 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.120072]
World J Psychiatry. Oct 19, 2026; 16(10): 120072 Published online Oct 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.120072
Therapeutic play-based guidance for children with pneumonia: Impact on treatment compliance, anxiety, and fear
Chao Zhang, Jian-Gang Pang, Ming-Wei Wang, Dan Bi, Yong-Xing Fu
Chao Zhang, Dan Bi, Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
Jian-Gang Pang, Department of Radiology, Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, Weifang 262500, Shandong Province, China
Ming-Wei Wang, Department of Pediatrics, Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, Weifang 262500, Shandong Province, China
Yong-Xing Fu, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, Weifang 262500, Shandong Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Dan Bi and Yong-Xing Fu.
Author contributions: Zhang C, Bi D, and Fu YX designed the study and revised the manuscript; Zhang C and Pang JG collected and analyzed the data; Zhang C wrote the manuscript; Bi D and Fu YX contributed equally to this manuscript as co-corresponding authors; Zhang C, Wang MW, Bi D, and Fu YX participated in collection of the data. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang (approval No. YDCH2024-286).
Informed consent statement: Patients were not required to give informed consent to the study because the analysis used anonymous clinical data that were obtained after each patient agreed to treatment by written consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Yong-Xing Fu, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, No. 4138 Linglongshan South Road, Weifang 262500, Shandong Province, China. 15095263668@163.com
Received: April 28, 2026 Revised: June 30, 2026 Accepted: July 28, 2026 Published online: October 19, 2026 Processing time: 164 Days and 23.9 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Routine intervention alone is inadequate to meet the complex medical needs of children with pneumonia, and improved management approaches are urgently needed.
AIM
To analyze the effects of a therapeutic play-based guidance program on treatment compliance, anxiety, and fear in children with pneumonia.
METHODS
A total of 108 pediatric pneumonia cases who presented to Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang from July 2023 to October 2025 were selected. The control group included 50 cases who received routine intervention, whereas the research group included 58 cases who received additional intervention with a therapeutic play-based guidance program. Comparative assessments were conducted for treatment compliance, anxiety (Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders), fear (Child Medical Fear Scale), symptom recovery (cough, expectoration, wheezing, and fever), pulmonary function; forced expiratory volume, forced expiratory volume; vital capacity, vital capacity; maximal voluntary ventilation, maximal voluntary ventilation; peak expiratory flow, and parental satisfaction.
RESULTS
The research group performed better than the control group across all assessed domains, with statistically higher treatment compliance rates, better pulmonary function indices, superior overall parental satisfaction, lower Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders and Child Medical Fear Scale scores, and accelerated symptom resolution.
CONCLUSION
The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the therapeutic play-based guidance program in enhancing treatment compliance among pediatric pneumonia patients and mitigating anxiety and fear.
Core Tip: This retrospective study clarified the effects of a therapeutic play-based guidance program on treatment compliance, anxiety, and fear in children with pneumonia. The analyses showed that therapeutic play-based guidance, combined with routine intervention, produced better clinical outcomes than routine intervention alone. This approach improved treatment compliance and overall parental satisfaction, reduced negative emotions, promoted symptom recovery, and enhanced lung function.
