Effectiveness of Gestalt and Cognitive-behavioural Play Therapy in Decreasing Dythymic Disorder

This study aimed to investigate the comparative effectiveness of the gestalt and cognitive-behavioural play therapies in decreasing the dythymic disorder of the 4th-grade female students studying in elementary schools located in the 7th educational district during the scholastic year of 2011-2012 in Mashhad, Iran. To this end, two schools from the list of the schools in the 7th district of the educational organization were selected by random cluster sampling. After conducting Child Symptoms Inventory (CSI-4), teacher form, 18 students were chosen and appointed randomly in 2 experimental and 1 control groups. Two experimental groups were treated in groups by the gestalt and cognitive- behavioural play therapies during 10 thirty-minute sessions. Having finished the therapy sessions, Child Symptoms Inventory (CSI-4), teacher form, as a post-test was administrated for 3 experimental and control groups .The obtained data were analyzed by the use of covariance. The results showed that the gestalt and cognitive- behavioural play therapies were influential in decreasing diagnosis scores (F=31/12, P<0/01) and intensity scores (F=37/25, P<0/01) regarding dythymic disorder. Due to the aim of this research, which was to compare the effectiveness of the gestalt and cognitive-behavioural play therapies, using LSD test showed the same effectiveness of the two therapy approaches in decreasing the dythymic disorder.