The efficacy of play therapy with children: A meta-analytic review of treatment outcomes

    Authors

    S. C. Bratton; D. Ray; T. Rhine;L. Jones

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Prof. Psychol.-Res. Pract.

    Keywords

    play therapy; filial therapy; outcome research; meta-analysis; MENTALLY-RETARDED CHILDREN; HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN; TANGIBLE REINFORCERS; PUPPET THERAPY; PSYCHOTHERAPY; ADOLESCENTS; Psychology, Multidisciplinary

    Abstract

    The efficacy of psychological interventions for children has long been debated among mental health professionals; however, only recently has this issue received national attention, with the U.S. Public Health Service (2000) emphasizing the critical need for early intervention and empirically validated treatments tailored to children's maturational needs. Play therapy is a developmentally responsive intervention widely used by child therapists but often criticized for lacking an adequate research base to support its growing practice. A meta-analysis of 93 controlled outcome studies (published 1953-2000) was conducted to assess the overall efficacy of play therapy and to determine factors that might impact its effectiveness. The overall treatment effect for play therapy interventions was 0.80 standard deviations. Further analysis revealed that effects were more positive for humanistic than for nonhumanistic treatments and that using parents in play therapy produced the largest effects. Play therapy appeared equally effective across age, gender, and presenting issue.

    Journal Title

    Professional Psychology-Research and Practice

    Volume

    36

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2005

    Document Type

    Review

    Language

    English

    First Page

    376

    Last Page

    390

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000231607000005

    ISSN

    0735-7028

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