Effects of sandplay therapy in reducing emotional and behavioural problems in school-age children with chronic diseases: A randomized controlled trial.
Judan Tan, Huaying Yin, Tuo Meng and 1 others
PMID 34378869WHAT IT FOUND
Adding sandplay to routine ward care for children with leukaemia or chronic kidney disease lowered reported emotional and behavioural problems and caregiver anxiety and depression.
The trial was small, unblinded and single-site.
Key findings
01Compared with regular nursing care, children receiving sandplay showed greater reductions in total emotional and behavioural problems, anxiety, attention problems, aggressive behaviour, withdrawal and social problems.
02Caregivers of children receiving sandplay had significant reductions in anxiety and depression scores, and their post-intervention scores were significantly lower than control caregivers.
03The study reported a 53% effective rate by its own CBCL reduction ratio.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done in one hospital, so results may not apply elsewhere. Children, caregivers and sandplay therapists were not blinded, although questionnaire data collectors were blinded. Child emotional and behavioural scores were reported by caregivers. The control group received regular nursing care only, not a matched play or attention control. Only 60 children were analysed after 2 transfers out. The paper does not explicitly name a primary outcome. Other factors such as family functioning, rearing style or coping strategy may explain the results.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article is listed as research supported by non-U.S. government sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that sandplay therapy works for all children with chronic disease. The study was single-site, unblinded, used trained sandplay therapists, and reported a 53% effective rate by its own CBCL threshold.