Through the door or the looking glass? Comparing in-person and virtual hospital clowning impact on parents’ anxiety and children’s negative emotions

This study compared in-person and virtual hospital clown interventions to a control group, assessing children’s negative emotions and parental anxiety before and after intervention. Ninety-five children (52 girls, aged 4–17, M = 9.75) and their parents were assigned to intervention groups: in-person ( n = 32), virtual ( n = 32), or control ( n = 31), based on randomization of the intervention day. After controlling for baseline measures and relevant covariates, no significant effects of intervention format were observed on children’s self-reported negative emotions or parents’ self-reported anxiety. However, parents in both intervention groups consistently reported positive perceptions of the clowns’ visit for their children and themselves, irrespective of intervention format. Thus, while parental perceptions were positive, quantitative analyses of self-reported emotions and anxiety were inconclusive regarding intervention effectiveness. Measurement considerations and participant characteristics are discussed.