SHORT-TERM GROUP PLAY THERAPY WITH CHINESE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS: EFFECTS ON ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND ADJUSTMENT

This study investigated the effectiveness of short-term child-centered group play therapy in elementary school settings with Chinese children in Taiwan who experienced an earthquake in 1999. Children in the experimental group scored significantly lower on anxiety level and suicide risk after play therapy than did children in the control group. The effects of the treatment support previous studies of play therapy with American children. These findings reveal the possibility of disaster intervention services adopting Western helping techniques with school children of non-Western cultures.