Fun Cognitive Games: A Play Therapy Approach to Alleviate Anxiety in Preschool Children with Thalassemia

Anxiety is a form of unpleasant emotional response commonly experienced by children with thalassemia during hospitalization. This study aims to analyze the effect of play therapy using fun cognitive games on anxiety disorders in children with thalassemia. The research employed a quantitative pre-experimental approach with a One Group Pretest-Post test design involving preschool-aged children undergoing treatment at the mother and child hospital (RSIA). The sample was selected using purposive sampling, consisting of five preschool-aged children. The instrument used was an adaptation of the HARS instrument, which had been validated and tested for internal and external reliability. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using the SPSS program. The pretest and post test results indicated a reduction in anxiety levels, shifting from severe anxiety to mild anxiety after the children underwent play therapy with fun cognitive games. The Wilcoxon test revealed an Asymp.Sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.042 < 0.05, indicating a significant effect of fun cognitive games on reducing anxiety disorders in preschool-aged children with thalassemia at RSIA. In conclusion, fun cognitive games are effective in reducing anxiety levels in preschool-aged children with thalassemia, making it a recommended intervention to support the emotional well-being of children during hospitalization.