The effect of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder in preschool children

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. In this quasi-experimental study, using a randomized pretest, posttest, follow-up (RPPF) design with a control group, 24 children in the age range of 5-7 years were selected based on the cut off point of CSI-4 and were randomly assigned into two equal groups of experimental and control (n = 12 each). The experimental group underwent CCPT intervention for 12 weeks, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA. The results showed a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the symptoms of ODD (P < 0.05), so that CCPT intervention could reduce the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. Comparison of the scores of the evaluation stages showed that the symptoms were continuously decreasing in the experimental group in the 6-month follow-up. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that CCPT is an effective method to reduce the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. Therefore, it is recommended that this method be used for preschool children with ODD in educational institutions and psychological clinics.