Aslihan Eslek

Izmir University Of Economics, Turkey

Title: The Effect of Psychodrama Group Therapy on Anxiety Levels in Parents of Children with Anorectal Malformations

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Biography

Abstract

Objective: Evaluating the quality of life and anxiety levels of parents of children diagnosed with anorectal malformations (ARM) and to examine the effect of psychodrama group therapy on anxiety levels.

Method: The study was conducted with parents of children with ARM who participated in the ARM Expert Family Meeting organized in collaboration with Izmir University of Economics Faculty of Medicine. Participants were first administered a demographic information form, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), and the EUROHIS Quality of Life Scale. Following these assessments, three structured psychodrama group therapy sessions, each lasting 60–90 minutes, were conducted. After the completion of the psychodrama sessions, the HAM-A scale was administered again to the participants to evaluate the effect of the intervention on anxiety levels. The data obtained were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman correlation analysis.

Results: 22 parents (11 men, 11 women) participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 35.2 ±11.7 (19-65). A statistically significant difference was found between anxiety levels before and after psychodrama group therapy (p<0.05). Furthermore, a moderate, negative, and significant correlation was found between EUROHIS quality of life scores and initial and final HAM-A anxiety levels (r=-0.53; p<0.05; r=-0.57, p<0.05, respectively).

Discussion: Psychodrama group therapy was effective in reducing anxiety levels in parents of children with ARM and revealed a significant relationship between quality of life and anxiety level. These findings indicate that psychodrama can be an applicable and beneficial intervention method for this specific group.