INTERVENTION EFFECT OF THEME BUILDING BLOCK GAMES ON THE MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Background: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are mainly characterized by learning difficulties, emotional impulsion, excessive activity, and distracted attention, which have a certain impact on their social ability, physical and mental health, and their living ability. This study aims to explore the effects of theme building block games on the psychological behaviors of children with ADHD, and to provide some reference for promoting the mental health development of children with ADHD. Subjects and methods: A total of 180 children with ADHD in Healthcare Center for Children from January 2020 to June 2021 were selected via convenient sampling. They were randomly divided into control (n=90) and observation (n=90) groups. Children in the control and observation groups received routine and theme building block games, respectively, once a week and a total of 8 weeks of building block game interventions. Improvement of symptoms, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Achenback Child Behavior Scale List (CBLC), Child Sensory Integration Development Scale, and Piers-Harris Child Self-concept Scale (PHCSS) of two groups were compared before and after intervention. Results: After intervention, children in the two groups showed lower T scores in P and N, and higher T scores in E and L of EPQ; T scores of children in the observation group improved more significantly. Children (boys) in the two groups showed lower scores in discipline violation, hostility, compulsion, immaturity, poor communication, schizophrenia-like, and physical complaints in CBCL. Moreover, those in the observation group obtained significantly lower scores in CBCL than those in the control group. Children (girls) in the two groups showed lower scores in cruelty, aggressiveness, immaturity, depression withdrawal, schizophrenia- like, somatic complaints, and anxiety compulsion in CBCL. Meanwhile, those in the observation group obtained significantly lower scores in CBCL than those in the control group. After intervention, scores of children in the two groups in symptom improvement, sensory integration ability, and PHCSS were significantly improved. Lastly, those in the observation group obtained higher scores in these aspects compared with those in the control group. Conclusions: The theme building block game can effectively improve symptoms of children with ADHD and also help promote their sensory integration ability, self-concept, and personality development, as well as improve their psychological and behavioral status. Accordingly, this rehabilitation intervention method is worthy of promotion, which can be recognized and accepted easily