Child Psychiatric Symptoms and Parental Stress Before and After Theraplay Treatment

Objective: There is a well-established association between children´s psychiatric symptoms and parental stress. Still there is a need for evidence-based interventions that can reduce both children´s psychiatric symptoms and parental stress simultaneously. Theraplay is a playful family therapy that aims to strengthen the attachment process in the parent–child relationship. The aim of this naturalistic study was to evaluate changes in children’s psychiatric symptoms, general psychosocial function and parental stress before, after, and at a follow-up 6 months after Theraplay treatment and to assess parents’ experiences of concerns, interactions, and understanding of their child after treatment. Methods: A total of 57 parents and 34 children with a mean age of 6.3 years (2.5-12) participated in the study. Children with severe psychiatric symptoms or disabilities were recruited from Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Center for Children with Disabilities. Results: The result showed a decline of the child´s psychiatric symptoms, a decrease in parental stress and level of concerns, an experience of improved parent-child interactions, and a deeper understanding of the child. Conclusions: The results indicate that Theraplay can be helpful as a treatment method that can lower psychiatric symptoms of children and help the parents in different ways