[ efficacy of developmental attachment-based play therapy on developmental trauma disorder symptoms in children from 3 to 9 years old]

ABSTRACT

The present study conducted to examine the effect of attachment based play therapy on developmental traumatic disorder [DTD] in children. This semi-experimental study with control group, conducted in 2008, in Mashhad. Fourteen kids [3-9 years], who were diagnosed as having DTD based on Vander Kolk criteria, were selected from child psychiatry clinic in Ibn-e-Sina and dr. Sheikh hospitals. Their parents permitted to involve in this study. Patients were divided to 2 groups of intervention and control groups. Mothers of children completed Yule's scale and for evaluation of children's stress parenting stress index-short form [PSI-SF] for evaluation of parents' stress. Ten sessions of play therapy were conducted for intervention groups. Then mothers in 2 groups completed the tests again. In the variables of age, sex and grade of children also in the age and education of mothers, patients in 2 groups did not have any significant differences [P>0.05]. There were not any significant differences in scores of Yule's scale, PSI-SF and parental distress at base- line between 2 groups [P=0.10, P=0.34 and P=0.58 respectively]. After play therapy these test in the intervention group was significantly different from the control group [P<0.001, P=0.01 and P=0.01 respectively]. The differences in scores of difficult child subscale between 2 groups, before and after intervention were not significant [P=0.86, P=0.14 respectively]. The differences in scores of malfunction in child-parent relation before and after treatment were significant in intervention group [P=0.01] but there were not meaningful differences in control group [P=0.52]. Attachment based developmental play therapy reduces the stress of children and their mothers