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AN ASSESSMENT AMONG CHILDREN AGED BETWEEN 9-12: THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN'S DRAWINGS AND MENTAL HEALTH

VARIABLES AS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND SELF ESTEEM.

Abstract

Objective:This research aims to scrutinize the possible relationships between the mental
health variables including depression, anxiety and self-esteem in the age group of 9 to 12

years old children, and the clues obtained about mental health depending on the drawings

made by children. Within the framework of this study in which 120 participants in total take
part, The Children's Depression Inventory, The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and The

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children are employed to assess the mental health variables

in the participants.
Method:Correlation analysis is used in comparing the clues obtained about the mental health

of the participants depending on their drawings with the scores obtained from research scales.
On the other hand, the significance of the effects of demographical characteristics on

depression, self-esteem and anxiety is examined through the analysis steps of the “T-test”.

Result: Based on the results obtained from the analysis, it is shown that there is a moderate
downhill correlation (r = -.47, p < .01) between the scores obtained from the Coopersmith

Self-Esteem Inventory and the scores on the low self-esteem that are obtained from the
drawings made by children. A moderately significant (r =.80, p < .01) relationship is

determined between the scores obtained from the Children's Depression Inventory by Kovacs

and the clues on depression that are obtained from the drawings made by children. A
relationship ( r = .52, p < .01) is determined between the scores obtained from the sub-

dimension of State anxiety of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and the clues

about depression that are obtained from the drawings made by children while a moderately
significant ( r = .60, p < .01) relationship is determined between the scores obtained from the

sub-dimension of Trait anxiety of the Trait Anxiety Inventory and the clues about depression
that are obtained from the drawings made by children.

Conclusion:Depending on the data obtained from this research, the clues obtained from the

drawings made by children can be regarded as a significant instrument in the assessment of
mental health. When evaluated all these data, it would be possible to say that the present

study, based on the clues obtained by parents and teachers through the drawings, helps
children in receiving professional support without any delay, having an accelerated diagnosis

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