Development of effective coping-strategies among young people in the context of group counselling with the help of art-therapy techniques

Statement of the problem. Life in the modern reality is dynamic and contradictory, young people constantly have to overcome different kinds of difficulties (age crises, choice of their professional way and its development, interpersonal relations, questions of finance, everyday life stresses, etc.). In the period of the pandemic essential factors for the Russian youth were the fear infecting themselves and their loved ones; danger (mistrust of the health care system) [Kozlova, 2020]. The conditions of modern life only emphasize the relevance of the problem of coping behavior. In a situation when the general level of tension and stress is quite high, it is important to provide psychological assistance to young people in the formation of diverse and effective coping strategies. We consider expedient to use group work to solve this problem. This helps reach a sufficient number of participants and provide support and exchange of experience that are important to young people. For group consultations to be effective, it is important to understand the problem field of coping behavior and actual and potential demands of young people for psychological aid. We believe that one of the ways to solve this problem is to study and find effective and efficacious techniques of psychological help in forming coping strategies in young people. The purpose of the article is to present the results of the forming experiment, dynamics of the choice of coping strategy in young people after the carried out group work with application of art therapeutic techniques. The theoretical and methodological basis of research was made by the ideas of foreign psychologists in the field of studying of coping strategies: L. Murphy, R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, J. Amirhan, E. Haim, E. Skinner, etc. Ideas of Russian researchers in the field of studying coping strategies: L.I. Antsyferova, N.E. Vodopyanova, V.A. Bodrov, S.K. Nartova- Bochaver, E.V. Bityutskaya, T.L. Kryukova, E.I. Rasskazova, T. O. Gordeeva, E.N. Osin, etc. and also Russian studies in the field of art therapy: A.I. Kopytin, M.V. Kiseleva, E.A. Medvedeva, T.D. Zinkevich-Evstigneeva, E.V. Tararina, etc.. The study involved 30 students from 18 to 28 years old. Richard Lazarus’ “Coping Strategies” questionnaire and the “Cope” questionnaire (E.I. Rasskazova, T.O. Gordeeva, E.N. Osin) were chosen as diagnostic tools. Respondents, numbering 10 persons, took part in the forming-up experiment (group counseling). Research results. Tension level of the coping strategy “Confrontation” decreased in this group. There was a decrease of a high level of tension of the coping strategies “Self-control” when overcoming of the problem occurs at the expense of suppression and restraint of emotions, and the strategy “Escape-avoidance” when the person evades the problem, denying it. It is possible to point out that among emotional coping strategies, “optimism” increased, among behavioral ones - “cooperation” increased, among cognitive ones - “relativity” increased. Conclusion. The obtained data and their analysis allow us to speak about the importance and relevance of the topic of coping with stress. The program of group consultations, including art therapeutic techniques, promotes the formation of various coping strategies of behavior, providing effective coping with stress. The obtained changes give reasons to continue the research in this direction.