Exploring the Effect of Art Therapy based on Painting on the Anxiety of Fourth-Grade Elementary School Students
Subject Areas :
Abbas Gholtash
1
(Associate Professor, Deapartement of Educational Sciences, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran)
Keywords: Art Therapy, Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms, Anxiety, Elementary School, Students,
Abstract :
Background: Stress is a common phenomenon in most children. The educational system should try to reduce children's stress with new and artistic methods. This study was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of art therapy based on painting on the level of anxiety of primary school students in Malayer city. Methods: This study was quasi-experimental research and pre-test and post-test design. The research population includes all male primary school students in the fourth grade of Malayer city who were studying in the academic year 2022-2023. For the purpose of screening, the variable of anxiety was used as screening criteria, and 30 students were selected by purposeful sampling method. Those who had more anxiety were selected and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The data collection tool was Spence's Children's Anxiety Questionnaire (1988). The covariance test was used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that art therapy based on painting can lead to the reduction of anxiety in fourth-grade male primary school students in Malayer city. Conclusion: Using art therapy based on painting can be used as a teaching-learning method in children's classrooms and become the basis for solving many problems caused by children's stress. Therefore, this method should be introduced in the curriculum guides of the childhood period and teachers should be advised to understand it and use it when appropriate.
References
Abbing A, Ponstein A, van Hooren S, de Sonneville L, Swaab H, Baars E (2018) The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. PLoS ONE 13(12): e0208716. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208716
Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Facts & Statistics. (2014). https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics
Altay, N., Kilicarslan-Toruner, E., & Sari, C. (2017). The effect of Drawing and Writing Technique on the Anxiety Level of Children Undergoing Cancer Treatment. European Journal of oncology Nursing, 28, 1-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2017.02.007
Andrew Marshall-Tierney (2021) Therapist art making as a means of helping service users with anxiety problems, International Journal of Art Therapy, 26:1-2, 47-54, doi=10.1080/17454832.2021.1918193
Bell, J,G., Jennifer,M., Elliot, J.O., Heaton, W.(2022). The impact of art therapy on anxiety and hope in patients with gynecologic cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, Volume 80, September 2022, 101947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2022.101947
Essau, C. A., Conradt, J., Sasagawa, S., & Ollendick, T. H. (2012). Prevention of anxiety symptoms in children: Results from a universal school-based trial. Behavior Therapy, 43(2), 450–464. DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2011.08.003
Bruce, D., & Hackett, S. S. (2021). Developing art therapy practice within perinatal parent-infant mental health. International Journal of Art Therapy, 26(3), 111-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1801784
Durrani, H. (2021). Sensory-based relational art therapy approach (S-BRATA): A framework for art therapy with children with ASD. Art Therapy, 38(2), 78–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2020.1718054
Essau, C. A., Lewnsohn, PM., XinLim, J., Rohde, P. (2018). Incidence, recurrence and comorbidity of anxiety disorders in four major developmental stages. Journal of Affective Disorders. 228, 248- 253. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.014
Hill, C., Waite, P., & Creswell, C. (2016). Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Hu, J., Zhang, J., Hu, L., Yu, H., & Xu, J. (2021). Art therapy: a complementary treatment for mental disorders. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 686005. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005
James, A. C., James, G., Cowdrey, F. A., Soler, A., & Choke, A. (2013). Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Review Issue 2. Art. No.: CD004690.https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004690.pub4
James, A., Soler, A., Weatherall, R. (2009). Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 4.
Jiang, J., Rickson, D., & Jiang, C. (2016). The mechanism of music for reducing psychological stress: Music preference as a mediator. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 48: 62-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2016.02.002
Legerstee, J.S., Garnefski, N., Jellesma, F.C., Verhulst, F.C., & Utens, E M. (2010) Cognitive coping and childhood anxiety disorders. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 19:143-150. DOI: 10.1007/s00787-009-0051-6
Malchiodi, C. A. (2015). Creative interventions with traumatized children. New York, NY: Guilford.
Moharamkhani, M., Rassoli, M,. Khanali Mojen,L. Respini, D., Aghebati, A and Ashrafzadeh, H. (2023). Assessing Effects of Mandala Painting on Anxiety of 9–14-Year-Old Children with Cancer. Advances in Integrative Medicine, In Press, Journal Pre-proof. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2023.02.002
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), (2013). ed Social anxiety disorder: Recognition, assessment and treatment. National Institute of Mental Health. Any Anxiety
Oster, G., and Gould Crone, P. (2004). Using drawing in assessment and therapy. A guide for mental health professionals. New York Routledge.
Reynolds, S., Wilson, C., Austin, J., & Hooper, L. (2012). Effects of psychotherapy for anxiety in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(4), 251–262. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.01.005
Shavkatovna, M. D. (2022). Art Therapy as a Means of Adaptation of Young Children to Pre-School. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INNOVATION IN NONFORMAL EDUCATION, 2(2), 192–196. Retrieved from https://inovatus.es/index.php/ejine/article/view/335
Simon, E., & Bögels, S. M. (2009). Screening for anxiety disorders in children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 18, 625-634. doi: 10.1007/s00787-009-0023-x
Spence, S. H. (1998). A measure of anxiety symptoms among children. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 545–566. DOI: 10.1016/s0005-7967(98)00034-5
Springham, N., & Huet, V. (2018). Art as relational encounter: An ostensive communication theory of art therapy. Art Therapy, 35(1), 4-10. • https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2018.1460103
Ugurlu, N., Akca, L., & Acarturk, c. (2016). An art therapy intervention for symptoms of post – traumatic stress, depression and anxiety among Syrian refugee children’s. Journal Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 11(2), 89-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450128.2016.1181288
Whiteside, S.P., Deacon, B.J., Benito, K., Stewart, E . (2016). Factors associated with practitioners’ use of exposure therapy for childhood anxiety disorders. J Anxiety Disord, 40, 29–36. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.04.001
