Background and Aim: This study examined the effectiveness of sandplay therapy in improving mental health and increasing vitality among elementary school boys in Tehran.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group was employed. The sample comprised 30 students aged 7–12 years selected via multistage cluster sampling and, after matching, randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Instruments were the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC; Jellinek et al., 1986) for children’s mental health and the Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS; Ryan & Frederick, 1997). The experimental group received the Boyk & Goodwin (2000) sandplay protocol in ten weekly 45-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANCOVA after verifying assumptions (Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Levene, Bartlett).
Results: ANCOVA indicated that, controlling for pretest scores, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvement in mental health and vitality than the control group.
Conclusion: Sandplay therapy, as a school-feasible and low-cost intervention, is effective in enhancing mental health and increasing vitality in elementary school children; its systematic incorporation into school psychosocial support programmes is recommended.
Keywords: sandplay therapy; mental health; vitality; children.