Artmaking in Elementary School Art Therapy

Associations with Pre-Treatment Behavioral Problems and Therapy Outcomes

Bibliographic Data

ID15719986
AuthorsSharon Snir (0000-0002-7233-6123, Tel Hai Academic College, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume9
Issue9
Pages1277-1277
Publication date2022-08-25
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChildren (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/children9091277
PMID36138587
OpenAlexW4293223691
LanguageEN
References cited66

Engaging in artmaking is one of the key components of art therapy. Theoretical conceptualizations posit that artmaking is not only influenced by the mental state of the artmaker, but can also modify it. The quantitative longitudinal study reported here examined these assumptions in the context of school art therapy. Seventy-seven elementary school students in art therapy in Israel completed the Art Based Intervention Questionnaire (ABI) three times during the therapy year. Their parents and homeroom teachers reported on the students' behavioral and emotional problems on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL for parents, and TRF version for teachers). The results indicated an inverse correlation between the students' externalizing and mixed problems before starting treatment and these clients' experiences of artmaking during the first month of therapy. A regression model for predicting gain scores on the TRF internalizing problem indices was significant, whereas the significant regression predictor was the students' experience of artmaking at T1. These findings provide initial support for an association between the experience of artmaking and mental state, and an improvement in mental state, and are discussed in relation to the context of school art therapy

Art Therapy · CBCL · Context (archaeology · Developmental psychology · Psychotherapist · Art Education and Development · Art Therapy and Mental Health · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Psychology

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