Therapeutic play as a qualitative data generation method: A critical reflection

Child-centred research requires researchers to develop research designs that will enable children to express their views in an ethical, appropriate and child-friendly manner and generate rigorous findings. These requirements challenge researchers to develop new methods to generate data with children, and the 'younger the child, the more intense the challenge'.

The aim of this article was to describe and reflect on the use of therapeutic play as a data generation method by nurse researchers with young children in a child-centred qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual study using a multiple case study strategy.

The study was conducted with young children attending an outpatient department at a public hospital in Gauteng.

Four young children, purposively sampled, participated in six sessions, each based on therapeutic play grounded in the work of Oaklander's Gestalt play therapeutic approach, facilitated by a nurse researcher. Critical reflection was made about the play therapeutic approach as a data generation method, based on its ability to generate useful data, its implications for data analysis and its ability to be child-enabling and child-centred.

The play therapeutic approach, as a data generation method, is capable of generating useful data and amplifying children's voices in the process.

The nurse researcher needs to be highly skilled in this approach as it requires the ability to implement the specific play therapeutic approach in a safe and skilful manner.