The effectiveness of child-centered group play therapy and narrative therapy on preschoolers’ separation anxiety disorder and social-emotional behaviours

Figures & data

Table 1. Comparing separation anxiety symptoms and SDQ subscales scores before and after the treatments for all three intervention groups.

Variables	Mean rank				Kruskal-Wallis test			Pairwise comparisons (z/Bonferroni)
	combined group	CCGP	narrative	control	x2	df	p	combined group vs. CCGP	combined group vs. narrative	combined group vs. control	CCGP vs. narrative	CCGP vs. control	narrative vs. control
Separation anxiety at pre-test	26.92	23.04	31.21	16.83	7.08	3	0. 069	−1.36	−2.97*	−4.69***	−1.6	−3.32**	−1.71
Separation anxiety at post-test	11.75	19.46	28.54	38.25	24.62	3	< 0.001
Emotional problems at pre-test	26.96	19.96	28.17	22.92	2.96	3	0.396	−0.86	−2.00	−4.54***	−1.15	−3.68***	2.53
Emotional problems at post-test	14.17	18.96	25.38	39.50	23.33	3	< 0.001
Conduct problems at pre-test	20.17	28.04	22.38	27.42	2.85	3	0.414	−1.58	−1.19	−3.25**	−3.92	−1.67	−2.06
Conduct problems at post-test	16.17	24.92	22.75	34.17	10.86	3	0.012
Hyperactivity at pre-test	22.96	28.13	22.46	24.46	1.26	3	0.737
Hyperactivity at post-test	19.38	25.71	20.38	32.54	7.11	3	0.068
Peer problems at pre-test	27.88	17.29	27.38	25.46	5.02	3	0.17	0.697	−1.43	−4.293***	−2.13	−4.99***	−2.85*
Peer problems at post-test	17.5	13.63	25.50	41.38	29.29	3	< 0.001
Prosocial at pre-test	20.29	31.96	26.83	18.92	7.99	3	0.046	0.746	1.5	5***	0.75	4.25***	3.5**
Prosocial at post-test	34.42	30.33	26.21	7.04	29.41	3	< 0.001
SDQ total difficulties at pre-test	23.33	23.88	25.13	25.67	0.217	3	0.975	−0.879	−1.72	−4.49***	0.84	−3.61**	−2.78*
SDQ total difficulties at post-test	14.42	19.42	24.21	39.96	22.65	3	< 0.001

Note. *** = p < 0.001, ** = p < 0.01, * = p < 0.05

Figure 1. Effectiveness of the three interventions on separation anxiety symptoms.

Figure 2. Effectiveness of the three interventions on the SDQ total difficulties score.

Figure 3. Effectiveness of the three interventions on prosocial behaviour.

Data availability statement

Data not available due to [ethical/legal/commercial] restrictions. Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is unavailable.