Abstract

Not until recently have specialists begun to look at the effects of hospitalization and surgery on children and adolescents. Hrutkay and Eilert (1990), for example, describe the psychosocial effects of pediatric surgery and subsequent hospitalization on children. The authors identify reactions varying from increased anxiety and adjustment disorders to depression. They also observed that children in hospital often show increased dependence and regression, which cause considerable problems with rehabilitation and recovery. Moreover, children and adolescents, in the process of development, already deal with many difficult tasks as they are in constant change. This paper is a case study describing an adolescent girl's experience of art therapy while in hospital over a period of several months. Art therapy provided this patient with the opportunity to work through several issues pertaining to her development, including individuation and identity formation. It also allowed expression and reparation of her hospital experience, providing her with a sense of control.