The effectiveness of parent – child cognitive behavioral therapy on emotional behavioral problems of grief children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of parent – child cognitive behavioral therapy on emotional behavioral problems of grief children.

This research was an experimental study, with pretest - posttest – follow up design with control group. The statistical population included 7 to 11 years old girls without father and covered by the Relief Committee of Sari City and had emotional behavioral problems. The sample consisted of 16 girls, 7 to 11 years old, fatherless covered by Relief Committee that were selected purposefully and were equal in the two groups of intervention and control. The Child Behavior Checklist questionnaire was completed by their mothers before and after the intervention and one month follow-up. Parent-child cognitive-behavioral therapy was performed for the intervention group in the form of 8 sessions of 45 minutes weekly. The first to sixth sessions were for children and the seventh and eighth sessions were for their mothers. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance test.

Implementing parent-child cognitive-behavioral therapy led to a reduction in anxiety, depression, physical complaints, social problems, attention and thinking, law-breaking behaviors, and aggression in children in the intervention group. In addition, significant differences were observed between the two groups in the variables of anxiety, aggression, social problems and attention.

The use of parent – child cognitive-behavioral therapy, which simultaneously considers the surviving parent and the child in treatment process, can be effective in reducing emotional behavioral problems in children after parental loss.