The study, titled 'Recreational Intervention at Port Aventura Dreams: Impact on the Well-being of Children and Adolescents with Chronic Illnesses and Their Families,' analyzed the effect of a family leisure experience on 105 children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 with serious illnesses or autism spectrum disorder, and their families. The stays, conducted between March 2023 and December 2024, included participants from Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, and Niño Jesús Children's University Hospital in Madrid.
Results indicate a significant reduction in anxiety for both patients and caregivers, as well as the mental load associated with ongoing care. This improvement is maintained for up to four weeks after the experience. Dr. Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga, head of the Psychiatry Service at Vall d'Hebron, highlights that these positive experiences outside the hospital routine can improve families' emotional well-being.
Unlike other studies, this intervention did not include a structured therapeutic program but focused on a family leisure experience in an environment away from the hospital. Researchers evaluated participants before the stay, one week later, and four weeks after.
The Zarit Burden Interview, which measures caregiver burden, decreased from an average score of 27.2 points before the stay to 25.4 one week later. State anxiety for caregivers dropped from 25.1 to 18.4, and for children, from 29 to 26.9. A small but statistically significant improvement was also observed in the emotional dimension of pediatric quality of life.
Dr. Rosa Romero, coordinator of the Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital at Vall d'Hebron, emphasizes the importance of looking beyond hospital walls and building alliances to care for the emotional well-being of children and their families.
PortAventura Dreams Village, celebrating its seventh anniversary, has hosted over 1,200 families since its inauguration in 2019, offering free six-day stays. Mr. Josep Andreu, president of the PortAventura Foundation, views the study's results positively as a recognition of the project's value and an impetus to continue its work.
