The COVID-19 pandemic’s mental health impact through the perspectives of play therapists

What is it about?

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all fields and jobs, including mental health professionals and their therapy rooms. This study looks at a specialized group of mental health professionals - play therapists - who provide developmentally appropriate mental health care to children and young people. It explores how the pandemic changed their play therapy rooms including how they adjusted to lockdown policies and if any toys were added or removed. It also explores if the content of play in therapy sessions shifted to include the pandemic, and if there were any patterns in themes. Finally, it explores how play therapists around the world classify the impact of the pandemic across their varied experiences of lockdowns and beyond.

Featured Image

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This is the largest and most internationally inclusive study to look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health professionals, in this case play therapists, and their practice as well as tap into their expertise as a group. It provides insights that can shape recovery response for not only what the play therapists in the study classify as a collective trauma, but also for the preparation for future global events. It has recommendations for therapists, researchers, and professional associations + registries.