The Effectiveness of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Hope and Resilience in Children with Cancer

Introduction and Objective: Cancer diagnosis severely affects children’s emotional well-being, often reducing their hope and resilience. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) on hope and resilience in children with cancer.Research Methodology: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of children aged ۵ to ۸ years diagnosed with cancer who were referred to Hazrat Ali Asghar Children’s Hospital in Tehran in ۲۰۲۴. Using convenience sampling, ۳۰ children were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = ۱۵) and control group (n = ۱۵). The mean age of participants was ۷.۴۳ years (SD = ۱.۱۲), including ۱۶ boys (۵۳.۳%) and ۱۴ girls (۴۶.۷%). The experimental group received twelve ۴۵-minute sessions of CCPT, while the control group received no intervention. Research instruments included Snyder’s Children’s Hope Scale and the Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scale (SEARS). Data were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA).Findings: The results indicated that CCPT significantly increased levels of hope (F = ۲۲.۴۳, p < ۰.۰۰۱, η² = ۰.۴۶) and resilience (F = ۱۲.۴۵, p < ۰.۰۰۱, η² = ۰.۳۲) in children with cancer. The intervention had a stronger effect on hope than on resilience.Conclusion: The findings suggest that CCPT is an effective, non-invasive, and developmentally appropriate intervention for enhancing hope and resilience in children with cancer. By providing a safe environment for emotional expression, fostering mastery, and promoting positive fantasies, CCPT helps children cope adaptively with the challenges of illness and improves their psychological well-being.

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اثر بخشی ، بازی درمانی ، امید ، تاب آوری ، کودکان مبتلا به سرطان