LAUSR

PurposeShop Talk is a therapeutic board game for children and adolescents with cancer, aimed at helping them talk about their disease, life, and emotions in a creative way and in a secure setting. The scope of this study was to translate Shop Talk into Italian, evaluating its acceptability, feasibility, and emotional impact.MethodsThe game board, question cards, and game instructions were translated into Italian from the original English–Spanish version. A sample of 30 pediatric patients aged 7–18 with cancer were enrolled and assigned to one of the following play settings: individual setting, caregiver setting, group setting. The patients’ affectivity was assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the game session using PANAS-C. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed at T1 using a specifically designed questionnaire.ResultsThe patients’ acceptability and feasibility perception scores were high. Statistical analyses showed a significant decrease of the negative affect and a significant increase of the positive affect in patients.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the patients involved appreciated the game and its content, purpose, and use. In addition, the game session with Shop Talk had a positive impact on the players’ affectivity. Therefore, Shop Talk can be considered a useful tool for psychologists working with pediatric cancer patients in Italy.