"The Lava Ate My School": The Use of Group Sandplay to Reduce Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress in Displaced Elementary School Students

Children impacted by natural disasters are vulnerable to developing mental health problems including anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders. This field-based study explores the use of group sandplay with students whose lives were disrupted by a volcanic eruption in their community. Participants ( n = 12) included first graders, ages 6-7 whose school had been recently consumed by lava. Using a mixed-method, pre-post design, data were collected during a school-based outreach project. The Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale–Second Edition (RCMAS-2) Short Form and the Child Report of Post-traumatic Symptoms (CROPS) were administered before and after a series of 5 group sandplay sessions and analyzed using paired samples t-tests. Qualitative data were also collected, including interviews with school staff and analysis of archetypal sandplay themes. Findings indicated a significant reduction in ratings for anxiety and post-traumatic symptoms with each measure showing a large effect size ( d = 1.25 for anxiety; d = 1.40 for post-traumatic symptoms). Themes indicated movement toward integration, balance, and access to internal resources, despite the continued presence of threat. Interviews with school staff supported the findings and showed that children enjoyed group sandplay, and were more calm and better able to talk about the event. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed. CORRESPONDENCE concerning this article should be addressed to Lorraine Razzi Freedle. e-mail: lrfreedle@gmail.com.