The effect of combining group play therapy with painting on internalized and externalizing problems of children with separation anxiety disorder

آذر و دی ۱۴0 1 80 سال بیست و دوم، شماره 5  پیاپی 171 The effect of combining group play therapy with painting on internalized and externalizing problems of children with separation anxiety disorder □ Somayeh Mohammadi Kashka*, M.A. in Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, university of Guilan, Rasht, Iran □ Abbas Abolghasemi, Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran □ Seyyed Mousa Kafi masouleh, Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of combining group play therapy with painting on internalizing and externalizing problems of children with separation anxiety disorder. Method: Experimental research design, pre-test-post-test design with control group was used. The statistical population of the study was all sixth grade female students with separation anxiety disorder in Ghaemshahr city in the academic year 1399. The sample consisted of 30 children with separation anxiety disorder who were identified as available and placed in two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group).To collect data from March et al.'s Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (1997) And Achenbach (2003) Behavioral-Emotional Problems Questionnaire was used . The experimental group received a combination of group play therapy and painting in 10 sessions of 45 minutes; and the control group did not receive any intervention. Research data were analyzed by one-way and multivariate analysis of covariance. Findings: The results showed that the combination of group play therapy with painting led to the reduction of internalizing and externalizing problems of children with separation anxiety disorder.. According to the obtained results, the combination of group play therapy with painting can be used as an effective and complementary treatment along with other methods to promote mental health and prevent behavioral problems in children with separation anxiety disorder.