The Effect of Therapeutic Play on Preoperative Anxiety in Hospitalized Children With Congenital Heart Disease

Inclusion criteria

Children diagnosed with congenital heart disease via clinical and imaging examinations, scheduled for elective cardiac surgery (e.g., open-heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass, open chest device closure, or percutaneous interventional treatment).

• Aged 0 to 12 years old, with basic communication and comprehension abilities to respond to play interventions and complete anxiety scale assessments.
• Clear consciousness, no severe intellectual, hearing, or speech communication disorders, or pervasive developmental disorders (e.g., autism), and being able to interact with researchers.
• Primary caregivers (father or mother) provide written informed consent and have the ability to understand the study and assist the child with the intervention.

Exclusion criteria

• Children with complex critical CHD requiring emergency surgery or admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) upon hospitalization.
• Children with severe neurological disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, epilepsy), severe hepatic/renal insufficiency, or other major congenital diseases that may affect psychological status or perioperative progress.
• Children who have taken sedatives, anxiolytics, or antidepressants long-term preoperatively, whose anxiety levels have been altered by medication.
• Participants who cannot complete the intervention or outcome assessments for any reason (e.g., surgery cancellation, withdrawal of consent).