Combined effectiveness of the therapeutic benefits of clay in play therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy on children's behavioral-emotional Disorder

Background: The individuals' physical, behavioral, and emotional growth is most significant during childhood and adolescence. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of play therapy with clay and cognitive-behavioral therapy on children's behavioral-emotional disorders. Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test. The participants were selected by simple random sampling and divided into an experimental (n= ۱۵) and a control (n = ۱۵) group. The statistical population consisted of all children aged ۷ to ۹ years, living in Mobarakeh, Iran, during ۲۰۱۷-۱۸.  The intervention of play therapy with clay and cognitive-behavioral therapy was conducted in ten ۴۵-minute sessions; the participants were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist and finally both prior to and one month after the intervention. Data was analyzed by the use of SPSS software version ۲۳.۰. Results: The results of data analysis, on the ۳۰ male participants with a mean age of ۸.۱ years, showed that after the therapeutic intervention, there was a significant decrease in the scores of behavioral-emotional problems (p <۰.۰۵) of the participants in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: According to the results, psychotherapeutic interventions of play therapy with clay and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help decrease the behavioral-emotional problems among ۷-۹-year-old children.

Keywords:

Clay in play therapy , Cognitive-behavioral therapy , Behavioral-emotional problems