A COVID-19 study: Child-parent relationship therapy for children's behavioral problems

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. in psychology, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood Branch, Shahrood, Iran.

2 Associate professor of psychology, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Assistant professor of clinical psychology, Institute for Islamic Studies in Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22038/jfmh.2024.77201.3109

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a virtual intervention in a parent-child play therapy program on children's behavioral problems in COVID-19 quarantine.
 
Materials and Methods: In the present study conducted in Shahrood City, Iran, in 2020, twenty-six mothers with 3-9 year-old children suffering from behavioral problems volunteered to enter the study through a call on social networks. They were randomly divided into intervention and waiting groups. The intervention program included a training package of play therapy based on the parent-child relationship adapted from the Landreth's model, which was administered in ten weekly virtual 90-minute group sessions. The research instruments included Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) and House-Tree-Person Test (HTP). Data were analyzed via the MANCOVA model.
 
Results: Finally, 18 mothers completed the research process. Comparing two groups, the scores of problem intensity (F (1,16) = 45.17, P= 0.001, ηp2= 0.94) and behavioral problem (F (1,16) = 34.02, P= 0.001, ηp2= 0.97) were significantly different. The results showed that child-parent relationship therapy significantly reduced the children's behavioral problems.
 
Conclusion: It seems that child-parent relationship therapy can effectively improve children's behavioral problems in quarantine conditions similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 26, Issue 5
September and October 2024
Pages 309-315

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