Effect of activity-oriented group art therapy on the self-resilience and adaptation of school life maladjusted children to school life
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: Activity-riented group art therapy has been shown to effectively support children experiencing school maladjustment. Beginning with physical play activities, this approach reduces group members’ tension, stimulates curiosity, and encourages creative expression through guided media exploration. The integrated process, which involves completing creative work, promotes positive emotions such as achievement and satisfaction, and facilitates emotional release, thereby enhancing vitality. This method positively affects school adaptation by strengthening components of self-resilience, such as forming peer intimacy and improving interpersonal relationships and adaptability.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of activity-oriented group art therapy on self-resilience and school life adaptation among children experiencing difficulties adapting to school.
Methods: We included six elementary school students in A city who demonstrated maladjustment to school life. The intervention consisted of eight weekly group art therapy sessions conducted from July 2025 to August 2025.
Tools and Techniques: We used student self-resilience and school life adaptation scales as research tools. Data collected before and after the program were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test.
Results: The study showed that activity-oriented group art therapy led to statistically significant improvements in the overall self-resilience scores and all subdomains among children with school life maladjustment. Second, children who participated in activity-oriented group art therapy demonstrated improved adaptation to school life.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that activity-oriented group art therapy may serve as an effective intervention by enhancing self-resilience and positively affecting school life adaptation in children who are not adapted to school life.
Article Details
References
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