Reducing Emotional and Behavioral Problems by Improving Life Skills and Self-Esteem of Institutionalized Children: Effectiveness of an Art-Based Intervention

The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an art based intervention program on reducing emotional and behavioral problems by improving life skills and self-esteem of institutionalized children. Pre-test Post-test control group design was used for the purpose of the study. Scales used were the English caregiver version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1977), Urdu self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Younis, Jami, & Masood, 2016) and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965). The Life Skills Assessment Scale was developed and validated. The study was conducted at Child Protection Bureau, Rawalpindi containing a sample of 28 boys aged 11 to 17. After screening based on the assessment of the teacher on The Life Skills Assessment Scale and SDQ, children were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Pre-test was conducted with the children using SDQ and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale while the teacher had filled SDQ and the Life Skills Assessment Scale. The experimental group received four weeks of an art based intervention while the control group received regular classroom lectures on life skills. After post-test and analysis in SPSS 21, results confirmed that life skills and self-esteem of the experimental group improved significantly while emotional and behavioral problems decreased.