The effectiveness of interactive play therapy on child's quality of attachment with parent: A case study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

 Disorder in attachment relationships by distrust can lead to psychocognitive disorders in child. The aim of this study was to explain the effectiveness of  interactive Theraplay play therapy on child's quality of attachment relationships with the parent. Research method in this study was experimental of a single-subject with AB designs. The study population consisted of children 5 to 8 years old with attachment pathologies that attended psychological centers in Tehran in the academic year 2020-2021 and the number of children was 10. From among them, 3 children (two boys and one girl) were selected based on entry and exit criteria and by purposive sampling. The intervention of theraplay for each child was done according to the instructions of Booth and Jernberg (2010), performed in 2 sessions (45 minutes) per week for 10 weeks (21 sessions) during two and a half months. The research instruments were Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) and Theraplay Behavioral Checklist (made by a researcher). Data were analyzed using visual analysis at both within-condition and between-condition levels based on three indicators of level, trend and stability. The findings showed that intervention of oriented theraplay- focused play therapy had a significant effect on child' quality of attachment relationships with parents (P<0.05). According to the findings of the study, was confirmed the effectiveness of intervention of oriented theraplay- focused play therapy on improving child' quality of attachment relationships with parents. Therefore, this method can be considered as one of helpful and applicational treatments for these children.                  

Keywords

References

Boldt, L. J., Goffin, K. C., & Kochanska, G. (2020). The significance of early parent-child attachment for emerging regulation: A longitudinal investigation of processes and mechanisms from toddler age to preadolescence. Developmental Psychology, 56(3), 431-443.
Brumariu, L. E., Kerns, K. A., & Seibert, A. (2011). Mother–child attachment, emotion regulation, and anxiety symptoms in middle childhood. Personal Relationships, 19(3), 569-585.
Bogoliubova-Kuznetsova, D. (2019). Theraplay in the work with child with ASD. Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17(4), 21-28.
Groh, A. M., Narayan, A. J., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Roisman, G. I., Vaughn, B. E., Fearon, R. M. P., Van Ijzendorn, M. H. (2016). Attachment and temperament in the early life course: A Meta analytic review. Child Development, 88 (3), 770-795.
Gast, D. L. (2010). Single subject research methodology in behavioral sciences. New York and London: Routledge.
Halle, T., Anderson, R., Blasberg, A., Chrisler, A., Simkin, Sh. (2011). Quality of caregiver-child interaction for infants and toddlers (Q-CCIIT): A review of the literature: Washington. U.S. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.
Hiles Howard, A. R., Lindaman, S., Copeland, R., Cross, D. R. (2018). Theraplay impact on parents and children with autism spectrum disorder: Improvements in affect, joint attention, and social cooperation. International Journal of Play Therapy, 27(1), 56-68.
Jernberg, A. M. (1976). Theraplay Technique. In C. E. Schaefer (Ed.), Therapeutic Use of Child’s Play. New York: Jason Aronson.
Koehn, A. J., & Kerns, K. A. (2018). Parent–child attachment: meta-analysis of associations with parenting behaviors in middle childhood and adolescence. Attachment & Human Development, 20(4), 378-405.
Kelley, M. (2020). Evaluating the marschak interaction method: Convergent validity in social emotional assessment of young children. Thesis degree level Ph.D. Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences. University of Oregon.
Lickenbrock, D. M., Braungart - Rieker, J. M. (2015). Examining antecedents of infant attachment security with mothers and fathers: An ecological systems perspective. Infant Behavior and Development, 39, 173-187.
Mesman, J., Van IJzendoorn, M. H., Sagi-Schwartz, A. (2016). Cross-cultural patterns of attachment: Universal and contextual dimensions. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (3rd ed., pp. 852-877). New York: Guilford.
Money, R., Wilde, S., Dawson, D. (2020). The effectiveness of theraplay for children under 12–a systematic literature review. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26(3), 238-251.
Perihan, C., Burke, M., Bowman-Perrott, L., Bicer, A., Gallup, J., Thompson, J., Sallese, M. (2020). Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for reducing anxiety in children with high functioning ASD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(6), 1958-1972.
Parade, S. H., Leerkes, E. M., Blankson, A. N. (2010). Attachment to parents, social anxiety, and close relationships of female students over the transition to college. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 39(2), 127-137.
Salo, S., Flykt, M., Mäkelä, J., Lassenius-Panula, L., Korja, R., Lindaman, S., & Punamäki, R. L. (2020). The impact of Theraplay® therapy on parent-child interaction and child psychiatric symptoms: a pilot study. International Journal of Play, 9(3), 331-352.
Theraplay Institute. (2018). Marschak Interaction Method (MIM)-Based Assessment Form - UK 2018. Retrieved July 2018.
Tucker, C., Schieffer, K., Wills, T. J., Hull, C., Murphy, Q. (2017). Enhancing social-emotional skills in at-risk preschool students through Theraplay based groups: The Sunshine Circle Model. International Journal of Play Therapy, 26(4), 185-195.
Wettig, H. H. G., Coleman, A. R., Geider, F. J. (2011). Evaluating the effectiveness of Theraplay in treating shy, socially withdrawn children. International Journal of Play Therapy, 20(1), 26-37.
 
 

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 30 October 2021
  • Revise Date: 10 November 2021
  • Accept Date: 23 December 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics