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. 2025 Mar 25;17(7):1099.
doi: 10.3390/cancers17071099.

Burnout in Pediatric Oncology: Team Building and Clay Therapy as a Strategy to Improve Emotional Climate and Group Dynamics in a Nursing Staff

Antonella Guido  1   2 , Laura Peruzzi  1   2 , Matilde Tibuzzi  3 , Serena Sannino  1   2 , Lucia Dario  2 , Giulia Petruccini  2 , Caterina Stella  2 , Anna Maria Viteritti  2 , Antonella Becciu  2 , Francesca Bianchini  2 , Deborah Cucculelli  2 , Carmela Di Lauro  2 , Ivana Paglialonga  2 , Sabina Pianezzi  2 , Roberta Pistilli  2 , Sabrina Russo  2 , Paola Adamo  3 , Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo  1   4 , Dario Talloa  2 , Alberto Romano  2 , Antonio Ruggiero  2   4
Affiliations

Burnout in Pediatric Oncology: Team Building and Clay Therapy as a Strategy to Improve Emotional Climate and Group Dynamics in a Nursing Staff

Antonella Guido et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Healthcare professionals in pediatric oncology are at a high risk of burnout. Art therapy is being increasingly recognized as a potential tool for reducing stress and improving emotional well-being. The Art-Out pilot project aimed at nursing staff was initiated in a pediatric oncology unit. The staff members participating in the project were guided in a team-building course integrated with art and clay therapy, aiming to reduce burnout levels, improve emotional climate, and strengthen resilience.

Methods: Burnout levels were assessed through the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and emotional regulation difficulties were evaluated through the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS); these tests were assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the team-building course (Art-Out project).

Results: Data analysis showed a significant reduction in burnout, alexithymia, and emotional dysregulation, highlighting the positive impact of this approach in improving team dynamics and emotional management.

Conclusions: Our study confirms the high risk of burnout, alexithymia, and emotional dysregulation among pediatric oncology healthcare workers, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to prevent and mitigate these risks.

Keywords: burnout; nurses; pediatric oncology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI): Comparative analysis of T0 and T1 scores across the three burnout dimensions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of T0 and T1 scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), assessing changes in alexithymia levels over time.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of T0 and T1 scores on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), illustrating changes in emotion regulation difficulties over time.
Figure 4
Figure 4
T0 and T1 scores for MBI, TAS, and DERS (Total Score), showing changes over time.
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