Play-Based Assessment for Children With Traumatic Experiences: A Meta-Synthesis Study Publisher



P Kafaeizad Tehrani PARASTOO ; N Abed NAZANIN ; Z Shahrivar ZAHRA ; L Panaghi LEILI
Source: Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Published:2024

Abstract

Objectives Trauma is an emotional response to a traumatic event such as an accident, rape, or natural disaster. Childhood trauma is a key risk factor in psychopathology. Considering the potential adverse effects of childhood trauma, developmentally appropriate assessments are needed for these children to design therapeutic interventions. Play-based assessment can be useful. This study aims to investigate the most common play themes in children with traumatic experiences by the meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Methods This is a meta-synthesis study using the meta-ethnography approach. A systematic search in two databases, PubMed and Google Scholar, was conducted on qualitative studies published in English from 2001 to May 2024. Initially, 1,846 records were found, of which five articles and one thesis met the inclusion criteria. The findings were analyzed according to the seven steps of meta-ethnography. Results The data analysis led to the identification of two main themes: vulnerability to trauma (reenactment of trauma, depicting death, and expressing feelings of fear and insecurity) and mastery over trauma (neutralizing threats, creating superheroes, and returning to the routine). Conclusion Children with traumatic experiences show their vulnerability to trauma by recreating the trauma and death during play and showing feelings of fear and insecurity. At the same time, the safe space of the playing environment helps children overcome their trauma symbolically by removing the threats, bringing in superheroes, and returning to the routine. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.