PC2079: Children's Experience During the Pandemic Expressed by Drawings

Background: The children and adolescents were profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They have, however, difficulty verbally expressing their emotions. The study offers them a safe, neutral outlet through drawing. This study's purpose is trifold. First, it helps children express deeper feelings through drawings; second, it allows pediatricians to identify children at risk and offer immediate resources; third, through a workshop, it will provide parents with the necessary tools to understand and help their children.

Methods: 56 subjects were enrolled and divided into two groups, 6-11 and 12-17 years old. Children and adolescents with chronic physical or mental illnesses were excluded from the study. Initially, they were asked two questions: 1. How did you feel during the lockdown? 2. How do you feel now to be able to go back to school? Subsequently, they were asked to draw their good and bad experiences and feelings during the lockdown using any technique or media they wanted. The drawings were compared to the pre-drawing verbal answers.

Results: Six female patients drew sad and scared drawings within the 6-11 years old group ( 21.4%). One drew the way she tried to commit suicide by cutting herself. Four out of these six children said they were doing well in the pre-drawing questionnaire. Only one talked to her parents about her sadness.
Two male patients in this group drew pictures of fear and anger (7.1%) in the pre-drawing questionnaire they stated to be well. None of them talked to anyone about their feelings. Eleven female patients drew scared, sad, and lonely drawings within the 12-17 years old group (39.2%). Two drawings showed attempted suicides and three eating disorders. Two of them talked to their parents about their problems, and one started therapy. Out of eleven, eight stated they were well during the pre-drawing questionnaire. Eight male patients drew sad and lonely drawings ( 28.5%) and two of them showed violent intentions. During the pre-drawing questionnaire, they all stated to be well. All patients whose drawings were found to show sadness, depression, fear, suicidal ideations, or violence were immediately referred to mental health specialists. The workshop for parents will be given in the near future.

Conclusion: This study helps pediatricians better identify patients at risk and refer them to the appropriate treatments. The findings suggest that drawing helps children and adolescents express deeper feelings than verbal interviews. The effects of drawing were clear and the findings are consistent with previous research on drawing. Drawing may also be effective in determining family dynamics. Additional research is required before strong statements can be made about the effect of drawing on the better expression of emotions.