Hope Tree: An Interactive Art Installation to Facilitate the Expression of Hope in a Hospice Setting

BACKGROUND: Individuals confronting a terminal illness can experience intense psychological distress. Previous research has shown that hope can enhance one's ability to acknowledge, accept, and fight a terminal illness. Patients can continue to have hope or be hopeful, even in the face of a terminal illness. Can participation in a creative writing practice improve the expression of hope in a hospice setting? METHODS: In this program evaluation, each expressed hope placed on the "Hope Tree" was independently coded by all research team members utilizing inductive content analysis. Overall themes were derived using a constant comparative approach and arranged into overarching themes based on consensus. RESULTS: Eight major themes emerged from the data: "Peace," "Dreams," "Total well-being," "Acknowledgment of loss," "Relationships," "Hospice care," "Spirituality," and "Dichotomies." CONCLUSION: The Hope Tree is a creative art project that can be used within a hospice environment to promote hope among family members and the health-care professionals who care for patients.