The Effect of Mandala Painting During Chemotherapy on Anxiety, Nausea, and Comfort Levels

In addition to managing drug side effects that arise during cancer treatment, maintaining the patient's psychosocial well-being is also very important. Therefore, the aim of this project is to examine the effect of mandala painting during chemotherapy on anxiety, nausea, and comfort levels. This project aims to reduce the negative effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea, anxiety, and decreased comfort, by distracting the patient's attention through the non-invasive and non-pharmacological practice of mandala coloring in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Mandala painting is a distraction and positive focus practice. A limited number of studies conducted on cancer patients have shown that it reduces distress and improves psychological well-being. However, no study in the literature has comprehensively addressed the symptoms experienced by patients during chemotherapy, such as anxiety, nausea, intense stress, and impaired comfort. The research will be conducted on patients undergoing chemotherapy for the first time, and patients in the experimental group will engage in mandala coloring for at least 30 minutes. Data obtained from assessments conducted before and after chemotherapy will be compared with control group data. This project will provide a more comprehensive assessment of the effect of mandala painting, a non-pharmacological intervention, on the negative symptoms of patients undergoing chemotherapy for the first time.

In addition to its scientific contribution, it is believed that effective symptom management can contribute to patients' well-being. Furthermore, if nausea can be controlled, the need for antiemetics during treatment can be reduced. This will also contribute to reducing unwanted drug effects and lowering costs.