It’s a Pandemic in the Playborhood: An International Perspective of Play Therapists on the COVID-19 Pandemic

This international digital survey of 490 play therapists across 25 countries explores the knowledge of specialized mental health care providers and their experiences of practicing through the COVID-19 pandemic. The 26-question survey explored playroom changes including but not limited to the addition of pandemic symbols into the playroom, observations of pandemic-featured play behavior during play therapy sessions, pandemic-specific play themes, and the categorization of the pandemic’s mental health impact (i.e., adverse, traumatic, collective trauma). Findings indicate a strong agreement between play therapists on how to classify the pandemic’s impact. Moreover, play therapists’ formulation of play themes from pandemic play provides interesting considerations for how to move toward pandemic recovery and continued mental health support for children. Clinical implications and research implications from this survey are directly addressed.