A Pilot Study on the Correlation between Draw-A-Story Test and The Beck Depression Inventory Version II in Adolescence
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Abstract
Objective: This study examines the correlation between the Draw-A-Story test (DAS), which focuses on emotional content and self-image, and the Beck Depression Inventory version II (BDI-II) for screening depression in adolescents.
Methods: This study presents a descriptive cross-sectional analysis conducted among high school students from grades 10 to 12. A total of 20 participants were selected through a two-step sampling process. Initially, 63 volunteers were recruited and assessed using the BDI-II, allowing for categorization based on depression severity into four levels: 1) minimal (scores 0 - 13), 2) mild (scores 14 - 19), 3) moderate (scores 20 - 28), and 4) severe (scores 29 - 63). In the second step, participants were randomly selected from each severity level to ensure equal representation, with five participants chosen from each group. Ultimately, the final sample consisted of 20 students who completed the DAS, with evaluations by a psychologist, an art therapist, and an art teacher. The analysis revealed that drawings indicating negative emotional content and a self-image of victimhood received lower evaluative scores. The data analysis employed descriptive statistics, alongside Krippendorff’s alpha coefficient, to assess inter-rater agreement, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to examine the variables (p < 0.05).
Results: The sample group consisted of 20 participants, with a gender distribution of 90% female and 10% male, and an average age of 16.55 years. The mean score on the BDI-II was 20.05 (SD = 9.85). The average scores for the DAS in the domains of emotional content and self-image were 3.17 (SD = 1.99) and 3.16 (SD = 1.15), respectively. The correlations observed between the DAS scores and the BDI-II, as assessed by three evaluators (the psychologist, the art therapist, and the art teacher), are detailed as follows. The correlations on emotional content were -0.83, -0.84, and -0.86 (p < 0.001), respectively. For self-image, the correlations were -0.83, -0.83, and -0.86 (p < 0.001), respectively.
Conclusion: The DAS test correlates statistically significantly negatively with the BDI-II. Psychologists, art therapists, or art teachers may use the DAS test on emotional content and self-image in screening for depression in late adolescence.
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