The effect of basic psychological needs-based art therapy program on the aggression level of adolescents

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an art therapy program structured on the Basic Psychological Needs (BPN) theory on the aggression levels of adolescents. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design with a control group, including pre-test, post-test, and follow-up measurements. The study group consisted of a total of 14 high school students in the 10th and 11th grades, studying in Antalya. Participants were assigned to the experimental (n=7) and control (n=7) groups through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Kar-Ya Aggression Scale and the Basic Psychological Needs Scale. Both scales were administered as pre-tests to both groups. Subsequently, an 8-session psychoeducation program based on art therapy techniques was implemented with the experimental group, aiming to support the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness as defined in BPN theory. No intervention was applied to the control group. Following the intervention, post-tests were administered to both groups, and a follow-up test was conducted with the experimental group six months later. For data analysis, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used for within-group comparisons, and the Mann-Whitney U Test was used for between-group comparisons. The findings indicated a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group in the total aggression scores from pre-test to post-test. Significant differences in favor of the experimental group were also found in the subdimensions of physical aggression and anger. Although decreases were observed in verbal aggression and hostility subdimension scores, these changes were not statistically significant. In the control group, no significant difference was found between the pre-test and post-test aggression scores. Additionally, the absence of a significant difference between the post-test and follow-up test scores in the experimental group suggests that the effect of the program was sustained over time. Regarding the basic psychological needs, findings showed no statistically significant change in the control group's pre-test and post-test scores on the Satisfaction and Frustration of Basic Psychological Needs Scale. Moreover, no statistically significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups in terms of need satisfaction, need frustration, or their subdimensions in the post-tests. These results suggest that a psychoeducational program designed with art therapy techniques and grounded in the support of basic psychological needs may be effective in reducing aggression levels in adolescents. However, it was also concluded that the program did not produce a statistically significant change in the overall levels of basic psychological needs.