EFFECTS OF PCEAT THERAPY ON PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL VARIABLES IN PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS

Abstract

The presented international study scrutinizes the effectiveness of person-centered expressive arts therapy (PCEAT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), specifically assessing the extent to which these therapeutic modalities efficaciously attenuate manifestations of depression, anxiety, and stress (outcome variables) among the student populace. By probing the prospective merits of integrating PCEAT into the academic environment as an adaptation program, this experimental work aspires to mitigate psychological disorders and augment the lack of knowledge regarding students' stress inoculation during their nascent academic years. Hypotheses were posited concerning the ramifications of the two therapeutic approaches on the scrutinized psychoemotional variables. The cohort comprising students from two universities (Sh.Ualikhanov Kazakh University and Omsk State Pedagogical University) was bifurcated into two equal groups of thirty individuals each; one group partook in CBT, whilst the other - in PCEAT. To appraise the therapeutic impact before and after the therapy, the DASS-21 assessment, distinguished by its elevated validity, was employed. Statistical analysis was conducted via the R software. The findings revealed that PCEAT demonstrated a more pronounced effect on decreasing anxiety and stress levels relative to the CBT approach. Nevertheless, with regard to depressive levels, both approaches exhibited relative inefficacy. The research findings underscore the potential of PCEAT as a potent instrument for improving the psychoemotional state of students, particularly in the context of overcoming anxiety-inducing conditions and stressors. The presented data hold significance for the formulation and enactment of psychological support programs tailored to enhance students' overall psychological well-being.