Children’s Drawing: a Way to Discover Their Psychological Disorders and Problems

• Published in: International journal of mental health and addiction 2016-02, Vol.14 (1), p.31-36
• Main Authors: Khorshidi, Seyyedeh Zahra Mosavi, Mohammadipour, Mohammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aesthetics; Aggressiveness; Anxiety; Children & youth; Community and Environmental Psychology; Confidence; Emotions; Gender; Happiness; Health Psychology; Human figure; Impulsivity; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Personality; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health; Rehabilitation
• ISSN: 1557-1874; 1557-1882
• DOI: 10.1007/s11469-015-9607-5

Drawing and Painting can be considered the language of the child as beyond its obvious enjoyment and pleasure, it’s the psychological expression of his innocent world as well as a revelation of his whole personality. There is a significant relationship between the lines drawn by a child and his physical and psychological characteristics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate various styles of children’s drawings as well as isolating their psychological disorders and problems. In this descriptive-analytical drawings of 205 boys from primary schools of Gorgan in 1392 (2013) were evaluated. Simple sampling method used along with Machover’s Draw a Person Projective Test. Final data were evaluated with a checklist. Participants’ average age was 6.21 years. Results showed that 53.87 percent of children drew a normal human which is an indication of their consistency. 26.34 percent chose the middle of the paper for their drawings which shows their realism and present thinking; 56.34 percent of children did their drawings on the corners which express their feelings of being lowly valued. Drawing a relatively small human figure showed that 36.58 percent of children are feeling shy and afraid while 75.60 percent drew a happy-faced figure. And finally, in 10.24 percent of drawings, lips were shown closed and pressed which may be an indication of stress and tension. Results showed that while most of the participants were consistent, logical, and happy, a few showed signs of insecurity, aggression, depression, impulsivity, incompatibility, anxiety, shyness, and self-presumed low value. Therefore, as there is a significant and deep relationship between child’s drawings of a human figure and his psychological disorders and incompatibilities, timely realization of such problems can prevent them from becoming chronic as well as helping toward their complete resolution.