Narrative Therapy for Children with Cancer

Storytelling is used as a therapeutic tool in psychotherapy and psychological well-being. This method, called narrative therapy, utilizes stories, narratives, and written texts as an indirect means of conveying emotions, experiences, and concepts to the audience. The present study aims to implement narrative therapy to improve neurotic disorders and to compare the effects of hope, joy, and anxiety reduction on mitigating neurotic behaviors in children with cancer. This study follows a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design with a control group and an intervention group. The sample size was determined through interviews with physicians, specialists, psychologists, and social health professionals. The statistical population consisted of children aged four to eight years diagnosed with cancer. The sample comprised children with cancer who participated in two months of narrative therapy, during which data were collected using three questionnaires and two therapy sessions. Data collection instruments included the Children's Hope Scale, the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and a physician-administered questionnaire assessing the child's medical condition. Sampling was conducted in two stages of narrative therapy. Data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed in SPSS 22, using repeated-measures ANOVA. The results indicated a direct and significant impact of narrative therapy on improving neurotic behavioral disorders in children, assessed through three key indicators—hope, anxiety, and emotional expression. According to the findings, children who participated in the therapy sessions regained lost hope and continued their treatment with a more optimistic outlook. Additionally, the overall treatment progress and responsiveness to therapeutic methods improved among the children.