The effect of child-parent intervention program on child problematic media use, relationship quality and parental burnout in preschool children

The approach of developing dysfunctional parent-child relationships through play therapy, establishing a dynamic bond between the two, and viewing the parent as a therapeutic tool is referred to in the literature as the child-parent relationship therapy, also known as filial therapy model. In this model, psychoeducation is provided to parents on child-centered play therapy, and parents use the skills they learn to implement play sessions with their children at home at special times, strengthening the relationship between the child and the parent through play. With the healing power of play therapy, child problem behaviors decrease, and the parent-child relationship is strengthened. For this purpose, in this study, the child-parent relationship therapy program, the effects of problematic media use in preschool children on the child-parent relationship and parent burnout were examined in a mixed design. In the first stage of the study, cross-sectional data were obtained by applying the problematic media use in preschool children parent form, parent communication assessment tool and parent burnout scales to 514 parents in three independent kindergartens where preschool education is provided in Gaziantep province. Data obtained from 514 parents reached by random sampling method were analyzed, and experimental and control groups were determined according to the scores obtained from the scales. Criterion sampling was used in the quasi-experimental phase of the study. The criteria were those who received high scores on PMKÖ and ETDÖ, those who received low scores on ABÇİDA, and those who signed the KVKK text and volunteered to participate in the 10-week program. After the data were collected, 15 parents who met the criteria were determined for the experimental group. In order to determine the criteria for inclusion in the program of the parents and the children on whom child-centered play therapy would be applied, the developmental evaluations and pedagogical/psychosocial development stories of the children of the parents in the experimental group were taken. As a result of the evaluation, 15 parents were assigned to the experimental group and 9 parents were in the control group. 10-week child-centered play therapy based child-parent relationship therapy was applied to the experimental group, 5 parents were not included in the post-test and follow-up test because they did not meet the program criteria, and the experimental group was terminated with 10 parents. Post-test was applied to both groups, and follow-up tests were applied 12 weeks after the post-test. After the end of the program, qualitative focus group interviews were conducted with the parents in the experimental group to determine the long-term effects of the program and to learn the experiences and opinions of the parents. This group, which had similar experiences, was represented by the analogous sampling method from the purposeful sampling methods. Mann-Whitney U, Friedman, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were applied to the group whose scores differed significantly. Thematic analysis was used while analyzing the qualitative data. As a result of the analysis, significant results were obtained in favor of the experimental group in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up tests in the problematic media, parent-child communication assessment tool and parent burnout assessment scale scores of preschool children. In the control group, while the post-test and follow-up measurements of PMKÖ showed a significant increase in contrast to the experimental group, no significant change was observed in ABÇİDA and ETDÖ. In this respect, it was determined that the psychoeducation program was effective in the variables examined. When the qualitative findings are examined, it is seen that the experimental group participants gained experiences in the form of expressing emotions, emotional awareness and emotion regulation, positive changes in play behaviors, behavioral changes in school and social life and increased skills. The qualitative findings were reflected in the child-parent interaction as attachment, trust, love bond, spending enjoyable and quality time, and the parent's self-regulation in the face of challenging emotions. It was observed that the parents' problematic digital media use and behaviors of setting age and context-appropriate limits for problematic behaviors contributed to awareness and insight, increased family communication, parental competence, and the parent's individual development. The findings were discussed and interpreted. Key Words: Child-parent relationship therapy, parent burnout, problematic media use, preschool children, play therapy.