Dreams during hospitalization, value of their plastic narrative as a way to humanize assistance. Pilot study

Introduction: the dream, its symbolic contain, produces images to express emotions and experiences.

Objective: a student of Diploma in Illustration represents by pictures the emotions felt by children during their hospital stay, expressed through their dreams in order to help them express their feelings, desires, needs, integrating through writing and drawing the illness or the reason for hospitalization.

Methods:  qualitative study, approved by the Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada Ethics Committee. Open sampling pretending saturation or variety. Inclusion criteria: age 7-12 years, prior signature of the informed consent. Material: notebook to jot down the dreams. The study was carried out in three sessions: presentation of the project to the family and delivery of the notebook, narration and children's drawing in their notebook; illustration of the dream by the student of Diploma in Illustration, shared with the child and his family.

Results:  the texts and/or the drawings of the children were the aesthetic basis for the illustrations, concretizing them with metaphorical contribution and using certain characteristics of surrealism. Three valid dreams were obtained to illustrate: “Help the others”, “Between two worlds”, “I'm an elf”. This study was considered pilot and was presented as end-of-year project, along with the illustrated album Oniros. Subsequently, a temporary exhibition was held in the hospital.

Conclusions: the narrative and the pictorial design of the children’s dreams during admission contributes to the expression of their emotions and needs, and generates empathy in the environment. The leadership of children and their parents in cultural activities in the hospital generates positive attitudes.