The utility of human figure drawings as a screening tool for identifying anxiety and depression among substance users

• Main Author: Sanchez, Jeffrey Danao
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2020
• Subjects: Human Figure Drawing Test; Anxiety; Depressions; Child Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5942; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/12949/viewcontent/Sanchez_JeffreyDanao_11486511_TheUtilityofHumanFigureDrawingsasaScreening_Partial.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This paper explored the feasibility of human figure drawings (HFDs) as a potential tool to screen for and identify anxiety and depression in substance users. For this, this study aimed to look into the relationship between hypothetical drawing indicators and self-report measures for anxiety and depression. In addition, it sought to look into the which indicators occurred the most frequently. A total of 66 patients from three private, Department of Health (DOH) accredited rehabilitation centers in the southern part of Luzon participated in the survey, which included three self-report measures and the HFD task. Data analysis included encoding of quantitative data while drawings were scored by the researcher and two Registered Psychologists (RPsy). Thus, analyzing inter-rater reliability for individual scoring and consensus validation for the drawings were employed. Descriptive and correlational analysis was used for the drawing indicators and self-reports. In particular, the indicators and self-report scores were analyzed using point-biserial correlation, which revealed which indicators were statistically significant and the degree to which they are related to the self-report scores. Two anxiety indicators, trunk (body) simplification and delineation line absence, and one depression indicator, body distended and misshaped, were found to be statistically significant. Additionally, social desirability observed to be statistically significant with the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Results from this study helped to identify significant hypothetical anxiety and depression indicators, supporting previous literature, and contributed to HFDs as being useful assessment tool for adult populations. Keywords: Human figure drawings, anxiety, depression, drawing indicators, projective techniques, substance use