놀이치료가 범불안장애 아동의 사고와 주의집중의 문제에 미치는 영향

The Effect of Play Therapies on Attention and Thinking Problems of Children with General Anxiety Disorder

The subject of this study is a 6-year-old boy with general anxiety disorder(GAD). This Study is to investigate the effect of anxiety on thinking and attention difficulties through weekly play therapy sessions for 18 months. This study is also designed to reduce the problems of attention and thinking caused by anxiety, the principal symptom of GAD. The results are as follows. First, play therapies appear to work well in decreasing thinking problems of the child with anxiety disorder. It is also found that unusual behaviors of the subject including obsessive thinking patterns and staring in the air are significantly reduced. Second, play therapies help decrease the attention problems of the child with anxiety disorder. Attention deficit, short attention span, restlessness, hyperactivity, hysteria, high level of tension, and day-dreaming are remarkedly reduced. It should be noted that this study helps reduce the attention problems of the child with GAD through play therapies and play therapies will be one of effective ways to deal with children with GAD.