Evaluating the Effectiveness of Art Therapy on Autism Severity, Emotional Regulation, and Anger Control Among 6- to 17-Year-Old Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Western Iran

Background: According to various studies, art therapy can be helpful for emotion regulation and anger control in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, sufficient research, particularly involving Iranian individuals with autism, is lacking. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of art therapy on autism severity, emotion regulation, and anger control in individuals aged 6 to 17 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Methods: In this clinical trial, 30 children (12 boys and 3 girls in each group) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders based on DSM-5 criteria were evaluated. The intervention group underwent art therapy in 10 sessions over 5 weeks, with each session lasting 90 minutes. The control group received only routine care similar to the intervention group. Before and after the intervention, participants were assessed using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), and Emotion Regulation Checklist. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 24 at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean age of children was 10.3 ± 2.4 years, ranging from 7 to 14 years. In both study groups, the mean severity of anger, emotion dysregulation, and autism before the intervention did not show statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). The mean autism severity, measured by both scales (CARS and GARS), emotion regulation checklist scores, and anger control scores in the intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant difference at the end of the intervention and were lower compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Art therapy, in addition to conventional treatments, may be effective in individuals under 18 years of age with autism spectrum disorders due to reductions in disease severity, emotional dysregulation, and anger. However, studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are necessary to confirm the results of this study. Current study is registered with the Iranian Clinical Trials Center under the registration number IRCT20151123025202N40 on 2024-09-04.