Classroom Drama Therapy Program for Immigrant and Refugee Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This evaluative study assesses the effects of a school drama therapy program for immigrant and refugee adolescents designed to prevent emotional and behavioral problems and to enhance school performance. The 9-week program involved 136 newcomers, aged 12 to 18, attending integration classes in a multiethnic school. Pretest and posttest data were collected from the students and their teachers. The self-report and teacher's forms of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to assess emotional and behavioral symptoms. At the end of the program, although there were no reported improvement in self-esteem or emotional and behavioral symptoms, the adolescents in the experimental group reported lower mean levels of impairment by symptoms than those in the control group, when baseline data were controlled for. Their performance in mathematics also increased significantly compared to that of their control peers. The findings suggest that the workshops may have an impact on social adjustment of recently arrived immigrants and refugees. This drama therapy program appears to be a promising way of working preventively and in a nonstigmatizing manner with adolescents who have been exposed to diverse forms of adversity, among which are war and violence.

A scoping review of mental health issues and concerns among immigrant and refugee youth in Canada: Looking back, moving forward

“…This program also appeared to be associated with "a decrease in impairment in girls, while the program appeared to prevent an increase in impairment in boys." 26 …”

“…27 Two articles discussed a program and an intervention designed for immigrant and refugee adolescents in schools. The first evaluated a 9-week school drama therapy program 26 and the second evaluated an intervention involving a 12-week series of workshops integrating drama and language awareness. 29 Both of these studies reported post-program/intervention reductions in impairment related to emotional and behavioural symptoms among participants compared with comparison groups.…”

A Review of Family-Based Mental Health Treatments That May Be Suitable for Children in Immigrant Families Involved in the Child Welfare System

“…Rather they showcase interventions that either: a) have a well-developed parent component, b) have strong research support, or c) are specifically designed for groups that have not traditionally been the focus of mental health treatment programs (such as Asians or children living in foster care). More information on treatment programs for immigrant families is available from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2005) and is reported in Rousseau, Benoit, Gauthier, Lacroix, Alain, et al (2007). Additional information on evidence-based mental health treatment for children in the CWS is reported in Shipman and Taussig (2009).…”

That will be your home : Resettlement preparations for children and youth from the Horn of Africa

“…A common denominator in these studies is that they measure the impacts of being exposed to war and violence in various parts of the world, and the effects upon the mental health of children. Research has also focused on various programs targeting these children in the new country through various interventions based on CBT, expressive therapies, and other school-based mental health interventions (Rousseau et al 2007;Baker & Jones 2006;Ehntholt et al 2005;Fazel et al 2009;O'Shea et al 2000;Ruf et al 2010). These studies have evaluated the outcomes and effects on children attending various programs as a means to find better ways to meet their needs.…”