Comparing the Effectiveness of Child-centered Play ‎Therapy and Filial Therapy for Reducing ‎Externalizing Problems in Children

Externalizing disorder refers to a group of behavioral and emotional problems in young people. Interventions and treatment are necessary for these children. This studyaimed to comparethe effectiveness ofchild-centered playtherapy and filial therapy in reducingexternalizingproblems inchildren.To achieve thispurpose, atfirst,using theEyberg Child Behavior Inventory (Eyberg, Ross,1978)300children who were7-8years of agewere testedand amongthosewith highscores, 12 children who obtainedthe highest score ofexternalizingscaleofthechild Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach and Rescorla, 2001)were selectedas the sample group. Children were randomly assigned to intervention groups: child-centered play therapy and filial therapy. In child-centered play therapy group, each child participated in 16 sessions play therapy (each lasted 45 minutes) and in filial group, mothers received eight group sessions. In child-centered play therapy, mothers completed CBCLagain at the end of forth, eighth, twelfth and sixteenth and in filial therapy, they did this at the end of second, fourth, sixth and eighth sessions.RepeatedmeasuresANOVArevealed significant difference between play therapy and filial therapy in decreasing externalizing problems and filial therapy was more effective. Then, filial therapy can be considered suitable alternative for child-centered play therapy that reduces child’s problems in shorter time and therebyincreases theeffectivenessof treatment.