Play heals: simple program eases anxiety in Quake-Hit tots
NCT ID NCT06845111
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested a play-based program called TOTEM for 4-6 year old children who survived the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. 53 children took part in 8 play sessions over 5 weeks. Researchers measured their anxiety, sleep, and overall emotional well-being before and after the program. The goal was to see if play could help reduce the negative emotional effects of the disaster.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- therapeutic play sessions (TOTEM program)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost way to help young children recover emotionally after a disaster.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with 53 children in one location, so results may not apply to all kids. The program's long-term benefits are unknown.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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53 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2024
- Finished
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Dec 2024
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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4 to 6 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Being between the ages of 4-6 * Having literate parents * Having adequate Turkish receptive-expressive language skills * Not having a previously diagnosed psychiatric problem declared by the parents * Not having participated in a training programme on psychosocial well-being before * Not attending any pre-school education institution at the time of the training * Volunteering to participate in the study by themselves and their parents Exclusion Criteria: * The participant wants to leave the study * The participant has not participated in one or more of the trainings to be given within the scope of the programme * The participant shows any diagnosed atypical development * Children who show a level of resistance that disrupts their adaptation to normal life in pre-tests, during the study or in post-tests, children with anxiety disorder or other psychiatric problems
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Kocaeli University
Kocaeli, Izmit, 41001, Turkey (Türkiye)
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