A new pilot study suggests that group art therapy may significantly help improve the mental health of refugee children. The research is published in the journalVulnerable Children and Youth Studies.
The findings show that approximately one week after participating in the art program, refugee children experienced notable improvements in trauma,depression, and trait-anxiety symptoms (general tendency to be anxious).
Previous research has consistently shown that refugee children are at high risk of a broad range of psychological problems including depression, behavioral problems, aggression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
For the study, researchers tested whether group art therapy could reduce psychological symptoms in 64 Syrian refugee children (ages seven to 12) who were living in Istanbul. Standard questionnaires and scales were used to assess the children’s traumatic experiences and to measure levels of depression, PTSD, and anxiety — both before and one week after — the five-day art therapy program.
[For more of this story, written by Traci Pedersen, go to http://psychcentral.com/news/2...children/106065.html]
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