Arts-Based Therapy for At-Risk Youth: Enhancing Emotional Expression, Communication, and Group Interaction in a Thimphu Thromde School

Abstract

This action research evaluated a 35-hour Arts-Based Therapy (ABT) intervention using drama, visual arts, melody, and rhythm to enhance communication and group interaction skills among eight vulnerable grade VII-VIII students from a Thimphu Thromde school in Bhutan. These middle-income youth faced emotional expression and group dynamic challenges and attended twice-weekly sessions. Multi-method assessments demonstrated significant, equitable gains across participants. Quantitative results showed pre/post gains on the World Centre for Creative Learning Foundation (WCCL) ABT Rating Scale (Communication Domain: of 50-65%; Group Interaction Domain: 27-52%), 9-26% gains on the Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (ICCS), 23-58% on Neutral Observer, 33-54% on Round Robin and 33-52% on River of Life assessments. Qualitative data from anonymous feedback revealed 100% reported gains in confidence and expression while interviews highlighted reduced hesitation, authentic sharing, empathy, and real-life skill transfer (e.g., "I speak even if wrong"). Despite limitations (small n=8, no control group, short follow-up), findings support ABT's efficacy for Bhutan's at-risk youth facing mental health challenges. Unlike verbal therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), ABT offers accessible, non-threatening support for children facing barriers to expression. Future research should incorporate larger rural-inclusive samples, longitudinal tracking, and controls for scalability.