Aggression and Depression Assessed Through Art (PDF)

Recently, Dr. Rawley Silver began investigating a possible use of her Draw a Story Test (DAST) as a screening test for aggression and depression in children. The study compares drawings done by children who have already exhibited violent behavior with those who have not, allowing for a controlled experiment from which to define an expected range of responses to the DAST. The results, based on work with a sample of over 200 children ages 8 to 19, are summarized by discussing the test procedures, collected data, and implications of the findings. Chapters in the book explore the changes in emotional state related to aggression and depression, as expressed in a child's responses to the standard art assessment tests employed by Dr. Silver and her colleagues. The book then explores the exciting potential of the test being used as an early identification of children and adolescents at risk for depression or inappropriate aggression. This volume came about as a result of a pilot study, but its intended scope is considerably broader, aiming to investigate the connections between a child's expression through drawing and his or her violent behavior. The potential use of the DAST in the early indicator of abnormally aggressive and/or depressive behaviors in children and adolescents will have wide-ranging implications, hopefully providing a useful tool in the identification and treatment of disturbed children.