The Effectiveness of Traplay on Depressive Symptoms and Grief of Bereaved Children in COVID-19 Epidemic

The consequences of COVID-19 pandemic disease are undeniable and as an important health care event, it has led to the spread of anxiety, depression, fear, and chronic worrying among children. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Traplay on depressive symptoms and grief of bereaved children in COVID-19 epidemic.

The present research was a quasi-experimental study. The statistical population of this study included all children aged 7 to 11 years without a father in 2021 in Yazd city. The study sample consisted of 30 children-parents who were selected by purposive sampling method and were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received 12 45-min sessions per week and the control group did not receive any intervention. In the pre-test and post-test stages, the groups responded to the Spuij et al. Prolonged Grief for Children Scale (2013), and the Kovacs Children's Depression Inventory (1977). The obtained data were analyzed by univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Based on the results, the main effect of the treatment variable on the post-test scores of depression and bereavement symptoms was significant. The results also showed that the mean adjusted scores of depression post-test and grief symptoms in the experimental group was lower than the control group.

The findings of the present study showed that Traplay treatment is effective in reducing the symptoms of depression and grief of bereaved children in COVID-19 pandemic. The educational method used has provided a suitable model to deal with these children.