Nondirective Play - Therapy for Children with Internalized Problems

this study examined the efficacy of nondirective play- therapy in reducing internalized problems (such as anxiety, depression and withdrawal) among preschoolers. 10 children scoring abnormally high on the Child Behavior Checklist completed by their mothers (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) were selected. This group received 16 sessions of nondirective play-therapy during seven weeks. After the fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth sessions, all children's mothers again completed the CBCL. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis. The results revealed a significant reduction in the scores of internalized problems scale. Implications for prevention and treatment of early onset of internalized problems were discussed.