An exploration of the suitability of a playful therapeutic approach to mediate adverse effects of early trauma, deprivation, poor attachment and institutionalised care on the social, emotional and developmental wellbeing of Ugandan orphans.
This retrospective study sought to determine whether a therapeutic play intervention was an effective tool to assist in the social, emotional and developmental well being of institutionalised orphan children in Uganda. This retrospective study was based on data collected in an orphanage where the writer had been working for a year.
The methodology used to evaluate the effectiveness of the play intervention was based on the use of quantitative and qualitative data. Results from the Ages and Stages and Ages and Stages Social, Emotional Questionnaires were combined with interviews and observational reports. The final results showed that every child participating in the pilot supported therapeutic play intervention showed improvements in their social, emotional and developmental wellbeing.
Limitations of this research included the use of retrospective data, the Ages and Stages assessment tools not being validated for use in Uganda and the limited size of the cohort. It is recommended that future studies in this area would need to be based on designs that take into account the specific cultural considerations of research within Uganda.
