6718 Spread a Smile therapeutic entertainment programme: improving well-being and supporting positive mental health in paediatric patients and their families

Objectives To evaluate the psychosocial impact of the Spread a Smile therapeutic entertainment programme on patients, families and healthcare professionals. Play is an essential component of childhood and is believed to be critical for children to learn, cope with anxiety and make sense of their emotions.¹ There are large amounts of evidence showing the value of children's play, particularly the benefits on cognitive, social and emotional development.² Play and recreation opportunities are critical for children and young people in healthcare settings, however research illustrates that children with illness or chronic health conditions who experience treatment and hospitalization have less opportunities to play, which may hinder development and place them at a greater risk for social problems and poor mental health compared to their healthy peers.³ Spread a Smile is a registered UK charity that provides in-person and virtual therapeutic entertainment to paediatric patients and their families in hospital and at home. The entertainers work alongside clinical teams to provide holistic care and support above and beyond the provision of the NHS. Methods A series of questionnaires were circulated to paediatric patients, parents/carers and healthcare professionals around different aspects of Spread a Smile's work to measure impact. Results Over 98% Children and Young People (n=413) reported feeling happy after a visit from a Spread a Smile entertainer, as opposed to feeling a range of emotions before the visit (sad, worried, bored, happy, not sure). Over 98% of patients surveyed also felt that the Spread a Smile visit helped to make their stay in hospital better. 100% of healthcare professionals (n=77) felt that Spread a Smile visits improve the emotional well-being and mental health of patient, and 97% reported that the visits make the hospital environment less frightening and enhance the overall mood on the ward. Conclusion Spread a Smile's therapeutic entertainment programme may improve mood in hospital inpatients, as well as improve emotional well-being and mental health in paediatric patients. These services can be useful in an overstretched NHS to support play specialists and other healthcare professionals in their vital work. References Isaacs D. The power of play. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2011;47(11):761. Whitebread D. The importance of play. Brussels: Toy Industries of Europe. 2012. Nijhof SL, Vinkers CH, van Geelen SM, Duijff SN, Achterberg EJM, van der Net,, …Lesscher HMB. Healthy play, better coping: The importance of play for the development of children in health and disease. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2018;95:421–429.