higher risk for mood disorders and suicidality. It is a clinically effective treatment for marginalized children (Post et al., 2019). For example, play therapy can be utilized as a developmentally considerate approach to support transgender and gender expansive youth (Byrd et al., 2021). The following play therapy-centered practices and recommendations are conducive to enhancing protective factors against mood disorders in children and treating suicidality.
Parent Psychoeducation and Consultation Caregiver involvement is critical and ethically necessary for treating young children with mood disorders, especially when suicidal behaviors are present, and enhancing the protective factors of secure attachment and parental support (American Mental Wellness Association, 2022). There are positive implications connected to caregiver involvement in
their child’s therapy (Haine-Schlagel et al., 2008). Ongoing
psychoeducation and consultation, combined with direct involvement in play therapy, can maintain caregiver engagement and uphold the focus on improving the child’s functioning. Psychoeducation is initially important when developing the clinician-caregiver relationship and should include explanation impacts,
of the play their child’s therapy can lead to positive biopsychosocial
therapy process, and how participation in treatment outcomes.
Play Therapy for Mood Disorders As a developmentally appropriate intervention validated for treating behaviors associated with mood disorders, play therapy is a supportive individual approach for addressing challenges inhibiting a child’s functioning. Play therapists may lean on research to determine which approach is best for the client. For instance, the more directive style of cognitive-behavioral play therapy can allow the play therapist to enhance protective factors by effectively addressing negative emotions approach incorporates intentional use of language expression, behavior modeling, and therapeutic activities to help the child increase awareness and establish healthy coping skills. The play therapist may decide to implement child-centered play therapy (CCPT) as an evidence-based intervention to address mood-related disturbances including anxiety, disruptive behaviors, or trauma responses (Bratton et al., 2013; Ray et al., 2021). The nondirective nature of CCPT can potentially be useful in gaining an understanding of the child’s perceptions and worldview that may be associated with mood-related behaviors or risk factors influencing the child’s capability to cope with adversity.
Child-Parent Relationship Therapy When treating mood disorders and suicidal behaviors, play therapists should consider assisting caregivers with improving their relationship with the child and increasing the caregiver’s capability to be empathetic and help reduce symptoms associated with mood disorders and suicidality. Child-parent
relationship therapy (CPRT) (Bratton & Landreth, 2019)
can foster this connection anchored by the play therapist’s guidance with skills-acquisition and improving the parent-child relationship.
12 | PLAYTHERAPY | Spetember 2022 |
www.a4pt.org
CPRT provides a step beyond psychoeducation by providing caregivers empathic support and feedback through observation.
Additional outcomes for children in CPRT are improved self-esteem, are the studies that have shown CPRT effective in improving family functioning and strengthening parent-child relationships (Agarwal et al., 2022; Cornett & Bratton, 2014). This purposeful child-parent intervention is valuable for enhancing meaningful protective factors of caregiver support, coping skills, problem-solving, and healthy attachment.
Assessing for Suicidality Standard suicide assessment involves measuring current risk, including whether there is a plan, intent, and access to means. With children, assessing suicidality should involve a focus on the impact of presenting behaviors on the child’s current functioning and conversations with caregivers to understand noticeable changes, current
risk factors,
been previous attempts or a history of self-harming behaviors. Cwik et al. (2020) described pediatric risk assessment tools such as the (C-SSRS), that play therapists can consider implementing to determine risk when concern for suicidality arises. Caregiver collaboration, as well as knowledge of risk factors, can lead to meaningful action steps that should include creation of a safety plan, recommendations for play therapy treatment, and a referral for a medical evaluation if necessary.
Conclusion Play therapy is an evidence-based treatment that is developmentally and clinically relevant to treating childhood mood disorders, with research mood-related behaviors. An assessment of risk factors can uncover treating mood disorders and suicidality by enriching protecting factors with techniques inclusive of caregiver and family involvement.
References Agarwal, S.M., Ceballos, P., Cartwright, A., Quinn, C., & Walker, M. (2022). Parents of preadolescents’ experiences of child-parent relationship therapy. (2), 85-100. doi: 10.1080/23727810.2022.2090166
American Mental Wellness Association. (2022). Factors.
https://www.americanmentalwellness.org/prevention/risk- and-protective-factors/ Baggerly, J. (2004). The effects of child-centered group play therapy on self-concept, depression, and anxiety in children who are homeless. (2), 31-51.
Bratton, S. C., Ceballos, P. L., Sheely-Moore, A. I., Meany-Walen, K., Pronchenko, Y., & Jones, L. D. (2013). Head start early mental health intervention: Effects of child-centered play therapy on disruptive behaviors. (1), 28–42.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030318
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
