Multimodal Art Therapy for Overcoming Negative Emotional States among Adolescents

Abstract

Psychological and pedagogical support for schoolchildren during the adolescent age crisis is acute social problem today. Over the past 2016, the number of attempts of adolescent suicide has increased 1.5 times. The number of teenagers, which have computer and game addiction, is constantly growing, the number of schoolchildren, demonstrating aggressive antisocial behavior, remains at a high level. The purpose of this study was to develop a program to overcome negative emotional states of adolescents, using multimodal art therapy. The choice of multimodal art therapy, as a means of overcoming communicative barriers, was determined by its orientation on acquiring a variety of sensory and communicative experiences by participants, through the use of artistic, creative and play activities. The methods of theoretical scientific cognition were used in the process of research. They allowed to distinguish the characteristics of negative emotional state in adolescents (the level of personal anxiety, the level of aggression, the presence of suicidal risk, the feeling of chronic fatigue, and the difficulties in interacting with adults and peers). The result of investigation was the program to overcome the negative emotional state of adolescents, using multimodal art therapy. Approbation of the developed program revealed its effectiveness as one of the possible forms of psychological and pedagogical support of schoolchildren during the adolescent crisis.