The effect of interactive game therapy with the Theraplay model on students' sleep quality: A randomized control trial

The present study aims to determine the effect of interactive game therapy with the Theraplay model on students' sleep quality. This randomized control trial study was carried out on a sample of 60 students, aged between 8 to 10 years, in the city of Aliabad Katul, located in the Golestan province of Iran, in the 2023. The study employed a simple random sampling technique, subsequently dividing the participants with random allocation into two distinct groups: a control group and an intervention group, each comprising 30 individuals. The independent t-test revealed no significant difference between the intervention and control groups before the intervention (P=0.64). However, a significant difference was observed between the two groups post-intervention (P<0.01), as indicated by the independent t-test. The paired t-test demonstrated a significant difference in the intervention group before and after the intervention (P<0.01), but no significant difference was found in the control group (P=0.8). Furthermore, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated a significant difference upon controlling for the pre-test effect (P<0.01 and Eta=0.26), suggesting that 26% of the changes observed in the post-test can be attributed to the intervention. Consequently, administrators and practitioners in the fields of health and education must employ this model of non-pharmacological treatment methodologies to enhance and ameliorate the sleep quality of school-aged children.