International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

Play as Antidote: Virtual Parenting to Curb Child Anxiety in Pandemic-era Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Sarah Pishdadian 1
Seyedeh-Soleil Ziaee 2
Seyyed-Mohsen Asgharinekah 3
1 Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
2 Department of Islamic Education, Institute for Islamic Studies in Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
3 Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
10.30491/ijbs.2026.562982.2291
Abstract
Introduction: Quarantine, while a critical public health measure for controlling infectious diseases, imposes considerable psychosocial burdens, particularly on young children and their parents. This study investigated the efficacy of a virtual cognitive-behavioral play therapy (CBPT) program in (a) enhancing the quality of parent-child interaction (specifically, increasing closeness and reducing conflict), (b) improving children's awareness and attitudes toward COVID-19, and (c) reducing anxiety symptoms in children aged 4 to 6 years during quarantine.
Method: Using a convenience sampling method, mothers of children aged 4–6 years were recruited via social media announcements and screened for eligibility. A total of 57 eligible participants were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 26) or a waitlist control group (n = 31). The intervention group participated in eight weekly 90-minute virtual CBPT sessions delivered via the Skyroom platform. Outcomes were assessed using the Coronavirus Awareness and Attitude Questionnaire (Elahi, 2020), the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale – Parent Version (Spence, 1997), and the Pianta Parent–Child Relationship Scale (1994). Data were collected at pretest and posttest and analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).
Results: Two groups were comparable at baseline (p>.05). MANCOVA showed significant intervention effects on child anxiety (Pillai’s Trace = 0.34, p=.001) and parent–child interaction (Pillai’s Trace = 0.28, p=.002). ANCOVA revealed that the intervention group had significantly lower child anxiety and higher parent–child interaction quality than controls (all p<.05). No significant difference was found for COVID-19 awareness (p=.059), but attitudes toward COVID-19 improved significantly (p<.001). Sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness.
Conclusion: The virtual intervention led to significant reductions in child anxiety and significant improvements in children's attitudes toward COVID-19 and the quality of parent-child interaction (reflected in increased closeness and decreased conflict). However, no significant effect was observed on children's level of COVID-19 awareness.
Keywords
Quarantine
Play Therapy
Parenting
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International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume 19, Issue 4
Winter 2026
Pages 246-257