The Effect of Therapeutic Play on Preoperative Anxiety in Hospitalized Children With Congenital Heart Disease (TP-CHD)

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).