Children’s drawing and its informative value in assessing the clinical and psychological state of children, those who have experienced psychological trauma

Background and Objective. Assessment of the clinical and psychological status of children exposed to traumatic events remains highly relevant in the context of armed conflicts, migration processes and humanitarian crises. In childhood, diagnosis of psychological disturbances is complicated by limited verbalization of emotional experiences and the presence of psychological defense mechanisms. Therefore, non-verbal assessment methods, including analysis of children’s drawings, may provide valuable diagnostic information. The objective of the study was to evaluate the informativeness of children’s drawings in assessing the clinical and psychological status of children who experienced psychological trauma.

Materials and Methods. Drawings of 50 children aged 5–13 years participating in emergency psychological assistance programs were analyzed. The study included children affected by armed conflict in Tajikistan (1992– 1997), internally displaced persons from Ukraine (2015– 2024), and refugees from Karabakh (2023). Drawings were analyzed according to content-related, formal-graphic and dynamic characteristics with subsequent clinical and psychological interpretation.

Results. Three main groups of drawings were identified, reflecting different patterns of psychological response to traumatic events: fixation on traumatic experiences, incomplete psychological processing of trauma, and indicators of positive psychological recovery. Typical graphic indicators included reduced size of the child figure, dominance of dark colors, fragmented composition, strong line pressure and repetitive threat-related themes.

Conclusion. Children’s drawings represent an informative supplementary method for assessing the psychological condition of children exposed to traumatic events. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the systematization of graphic indicators reflecting different stages of psychological response to trauma, which expands the possibilities for early identification of psychological distress in children.

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