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Pediatric Art Preferences: Countering the “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Introduction Art has a growing presence in healthcare environments today, particularly in environments designed for children. For adults, the literature shows that art is not only a pleasant distraction, but appropriate art can also enhance recovery by reducing stress and anxiety. (For a comprehensive overview of relevant literature, see Hathorn & Nanda, 2008, and Ulrich & Gilpin, 2003.) There is a significant amount of literature on the visual images considered appropriate for high-stress adult healthcare environments. In contrast, the literature on art for the pediatric sections of a hospital is relatively modest. Pediatric units are often bright, colorful, and covered with art that is considered appropriate-often according to an adult who has not consulted the actual stakeholders, children and young people (Coad & Coad, 2008). Research demonstrates that adult perceptions may not be the most accurate indicator of children's and young people's preferences (Fraser, Lewis, Ding, .../continue/

The Health Environments Research and Design Journal (HERD) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal whose mission is to enhance the knowledge and practice of evidence-based healthcare design by disseminating research findings, discussing issues and trends, and translating research to practice.
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