[Home ] [Archive]   [ فارسی ]  
:: Main :: About :: Current Issue :: Archive :: Search :: Submit :: Contact ::
Main Menu
Home::
Journal Information::
Articles archive::
For Authors::
For Reviewers::
Registration::
Contact us::
Site Facilities::
::
Search in website

Advanced Search
..
Receive site information
Enter your Email in the following box to receive the site news and information.
..
Open Access
..
Registered in
..
Indexing and Abstracting
..
:: Volume 13, Issue 2 (Vol13 No2 Summer 2026- 2026) ::
J Child Ment Health 2026, 13(2): 76-93 Back to browse issues page
Effectiveness of digital art therapy on emotion regulation and self-compassion of adolescents with internet addiction
Mahmoud Khalilinejad Rashtabad , Niloofar Mikaeili *1 , Pourya Kheirkhah Dafchahi
Abstract:   (787 Views)
Background and Purpose: Internet addiction is one of the common behavioral problems among adolescents, and the use of innovative interventions may help reduce its consequences. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of digital art therapy on emotion regulation and self-compassion in adolescents with internet addiction.
Method: This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design including an experimental group and a control group. The statistical population consisted of students in District 1 of Rasht during the 2025–2026 academic year. Using convenience sampling and based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 students were selected and randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group and a control group (15 participants in each group). The experimental group received eight 45-minute sessions of digital art therapy, whereas the control group received no intervention during the study period; however, to observe ethical considerations, they received a summary of the intervention package at the end of the study. The instruments included the validated Persian versions of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT; Kimberly Young, 1998), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) DERS; Gershon & Rommer, 2004), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff et al, 2003) in Iran. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS20.
Results: The results of the analysis of covariance showed that digital art therapy had a significant effect on emotion regulation (F=90.06, p<0.001) and self-compassion (F=27.01, p<0.001). Moreover, the effect size (0.919) showed that the intervention explained a substantial proportion of changes in the dependent variables.
Conclusion: By providing a creative context for the nonverbal expression of emotions, enhancing self-awareness, and promoting adaptive strategies, digital art therapy can improve emotion regulation and strengthen self-compassion in adolescents with internet addiction. Therefore, it may be used as a complementary intervention in school-based settings.
Article number: 5
Keywords: Digital art therapy, Emotion regulation, Internet addiction, Self-compassion
Full-Text [PDF 795 kb]   (242 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2026/04/2 | Accepted: 2026/06/10 | Published: 2026/07/25
References
1. Young KS. Internet addiction: The emergence of a new clinical phenomenon. CyberPsychology & Behavior. 1998; 1(3): 237-244. [Link] [DOI:10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237]
2. Soriano Molina E, Limiana Gras RM, Patr Hernandez RM, Rubio Aparicio M. The association between internet addiction and adolescents mental health: A meta analytic review. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(2): 116-128. [Link] [DOI:10.3390/bs15020116]
3. Rahman M, Sarkar P, Haque SE, Rabiul Islam GM, Haque MN, Roy TK, et al. Technology Addiction: Effects of Electronic Games and Social Media Use on Academic Performance and Symptoms of Psychiatric Disorders Among School-Age Adolescents. Health science reports. 2025; 8(7): 710-740. [Link] [DOI:10.1002/hsr2.71045]
4. Chang- MLY, Lee IO. Functional connectivity changes in the brain of adolescents with internet addiction: A systematic literature review of imaging studies. PLOS Mental Health. 2024; 1(1): 22-34. [Link] [DOI:10.1371/journal.pmen.0000022]
5. Zewde EA, Tolossa T, Tiruneh SA, Azanaw MM, Yitbarek GY, Admasu FT, et al. Internet addiction and its associated factors among African high school and university students: Systematic review and meta analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022; 13: 118-131. [Link] [DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.847274]
6. Zhang X, Nie J, Sun Z, Wang X, Xu K, Li F, Liu Z. Internet addiction and anxiety depressive comorbidity among Chinese adolescents: The mitigating effects of physical activity in a large scale cross sectional study. BMC Public Health.  2025; 25: 458-469. [Link] [DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-24137-6]
7. Kozubal M, et al. Emotional regulation strategies in daily life: The intensity of experienced emotions and selected strategies. Frontiers in Psychology. 2023; 14: 732-758. [Link] [DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1218694]
8. Eslava D, Delgado B, Carrasco M. Holgado-Tello FP. Regulation Strategies, Contextual Problems, Addictive and Suicidal Behaviors: A Network Perspective with Adolescents. Behavioral Sciences. 2024; 14(12): 1025-1041. [Link] [DOI:10.3390/bs14121236]
9. Günaydın N, Kaşko Arıcı Y, Kutlu FY, Yancar Demir E. The relationship between problematic Internet use in adolescents and emotion regulation difficulty and family Internet attitude. Journal of community psychology. 2022; 50(2): 1135-1154. [Link] [DOI:10.1002/jcop.22708]
10. Wang L, Chen X, Liu Y. Online art therapy for emotion regulation difficulties: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2023; 336: 456-465. [Link]
11. Kim J, Chung YJ. A case study of group art therapy using digital media for adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2023; 23(2): 289-307.[Link] [DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1172079]
12. Bluth K, Lathren C, Park J, Lynch C, Curry J, Harris‐Britt A, Gaylord S. Feasibility, acceptability, and depression outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of Mindful Self‐Compassion for Teens (MSC‐T) for adolescents with subsyndromal depression. Journal of adolescence. 2024; 96(2): 322-336. [Link] [DOI:10.1002/jad.12277]
13. Mahmoodpour P, Zebardast A, Rezaei S. Predicting self-harming behaviors of adolescents based on attachment styles, self-compassion, and impulsivity. J Child Ment Health 2025; 12 (1) : 6 [Persian] [Link] [DOI:10.61882/jcmh.12.1.87]
14. Nemati S, Badri Gargari R, Torfeh N, Mahmoudi E. The Role of Hope, Self-Compassion, and Parental Resilience in Predicting School Bonding of Students with Specific Learning Disorders. J Child Ment Health 2023; 10 (3) : 3[Persian] [Link] [DOI:10.61186/jcmh.10.3.4]
15. Miller M. A Mixed-Method Mindful Self-Compassion Art Therapy Postpilot Program Evaluation Study: Metaphors and Media to Increase Adults Acquisition of MSC Program Benefits (Étude dévaluation post-pilote dun programmed art-thérapie d auto-compassion à méthodes mixtes: métaphores et médias pour accroîtrel acquisition des avantages du programme MSC pour les adultes). Canadian Journal of Art Therapy. 2024; 37(2): 184-196. [Link] [DOI:10.1080/26907240.2024.2408864]
16. Wei P. The effect of self-compassion on social media addiction among college students - The mediating role of gratitude: An observational study. 2024; Medicine, 103(21): e37775. [Link] [DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000037775]
17. Manjanatha D, Pippard N, Bloss CS. Self-compassion as a protective factor against adverse consequences of social media use: A scoping review. 2025; PLoS One 20(5): e0322227. [Link] [DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0322227]
18. Zhang B, Wang J, Abdullah AB. The effects of art therapy interventions on anxiety in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2024; 79: 100404. [Link] [DOI:10.1016/j.clinsp.2024.100404]
19. Liu X, Sun L, Du X, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Xu X. Reducing anxiety and improving self-acceptance in children and adolescents with osteosarcoma through group drawing art therapy. Front Psychol. 2023; 14: 1166419. [Link] [DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1166419]
20. Haeyen S, van Hooren S, van der Veld W. The effectiveness of art therapy for adolescents with psychosocial problems: A systematic review. Arts Psychother. 2025; 93: 1022-1037. [Link]
21. Zubala A, Kennell N, Hackett S, et al. Art therapy in the digital world: An integrative review of current practices and future directions. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021; 12:  600070. [Link] [DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.600070]
22. Kim J, Chung YJ. A case study of group art therapy using digital media for adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2023; 14: 1172079. [Link] [DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1172079]
23. Zhang B, Wang J, Abdullah AB. The effects of art therapy interventions on anxiety in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil). 2024; 79: 100404. [Link] [DOI:10.1016/j.clinsp.2024.100404]
24. Kim S, Kim S, Park Y. Treatment effects of art therapy on adolescents with problematic Internet gaming behavior. Arts in Psychotherapy. 2025; 93: 102287. [Link] [DOI:10.1016/j.aip.2025.102287]
25. Mounesi Taniyani F, Seyyed Noori S Z, Hojjat Shamami M, Yahyazadeh A. The Effectiveness of Internet-Based Mindfulness Training on Parental Burnout and Self-Compassion of Mothers with Children with Specific Learning Disorder. J Child Ment Health 2024; 10 (4): [Persian] [Link] [DOI:10.61186/jcmh.10.4.2]
26. Fernández-Villa T, Molina AJ, García-Martín M. et al. Validation and psychometric analysis of the Internet Addiction Test in Spanish among college students. BMC Public Health. 2015; 15: 953. [Link] [DOI:10.1186/s12889-015-2281-5]
27. Wei Z, Hassan NC, Hassan SA, Ismail N, Gu X, Dong J. Psychometric validation of Youngs Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students. 2025; PLoS One. [Link] [DOI:10.1037/t95785-000]
28. Hashemi Y, Zarani F, Heidari M, Borhani K, Shakiba S. Psychometric Properties of the Persian Internet Addiction Test-Social Networking Sites Version: Dimensionality Assessment of Social Networking Site Addiction. Addiction & health. 2021; 13(2): 95-105. [Persian] [Link]
29. Gratz KL, Roemer L. Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. 2004; 26(1): 41-54. [Link] [DOI:10.1023/B:JOBA.0000007455.08539.94]
30. Mazaheri M. Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-6 & DERS-5-revised). Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology. 2015; 21(3): 231-243. [Persian] [Link]
31. Neff KD. The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self Identity. 2003; 2(3): 223-250. [Link] [DOI:10.1080/15298860309027]
32. Khanjani S, Foroughi AA, Sadghi K, Bahrainian SA. Psychometric properties of Iranian version of self-compassion scale (short form). Pajoohande. 2016; 21(5): 282-289. [Persian] [Link]
Send email to the article author

Add your comments about this article
Your username or Email:

CAPTCHA



XML   Persian Abstract   Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Khalilinejad Rashtabad M, Mikaeili N, Kheirkhah Dafchahi P. Effectiveness of digital art therapy on emotion regulation and self-compassion of adolescents with internet addiction. J Child Ment Health 2026; 13 (2) : 5
URL: http://childmentalhealth.ir/article-1-1576-en.html


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Volume 13, Issue 2 (Vol13 No2 Summer 2026- 2026) Back to browse issues page
فصلنامه سلامت روان کودک Quarterly Journal of Child Mental Health
Persian site map - English site map - Created in 0.11 seconds with 43 queries by YEKTAWEB 4777