A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

The effectiveness of child-centered group play therapy and narrative therapy on preschoolers' separation anxiety disorder and social-emotional behaviours




AuthorsZarra-Nezhad Maryam, Pakdaman Fatemeh, Moazami-Goodarzi Ali

PublisherTaylor and Francis Group

Publication year2023

JournalEarly Child Development and Care

Journal name in sourceEARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE

Journal acronymEARLY CHILD DEV CARE

Number of pages13

ISSN0300-4430

eISSN1476-8275

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2023.2167987

Web address https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2023.2167987

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/178763813


Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of child-centered group play therapy (CCGPT) and narrative therapy in reducing separation anxiety disorder (SAD) and boosting social-emotional behaviours in early childhood (2.5-4-year-olds). An 8-week-randomized controlled trial design with three intervention groups, i.e. CCGPT, narrative therapy, and a combination of both interventions (i.e. combined group), and one control group that provided data at a pre-test and post-test, was adopted. A total of 48 children who showed signs of SAD participated in the study. Results showed that compared to the control group, CCGPT and combined group interventions showed a lower separation anxiety level. Children in all three intervention groups showed lower behavioural problems and higher prosocial behaviours than the control group. The findings suggest that the three interventions could be effective selective psychotherapy methods to promote social-emotional competencies. The CCGPT and combined group, particularly, were effective psychotherapy methods for reducing SAD in early childhood.

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Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 11:59