Analyzing Attachment Representations and Aggression Tendencies of Individuals Diagnosed with Psychosomatic Skin Disease through Drawing Method

TObjective: This study aimed to explore attachment representations and aggression tendencies in individuals diagnosed with psychosomatic skin diseases, using drawing-based assessment methods. Method: The study included 108 participants, comprising 53 individuals diagnosed with psychosomatic skin diseases and 55 without skin disease. Data were collected through the Draw a Bird's Nest Test and the Draw a Nonexistent Animal Test. Results: Significant differences emerged between participants based on specific drawing characteristics. Those who included a parent bird near the nest or placed the nest on solid ground differed significantly from those who did not. Male participants showed a significant association between the dominant color in their drawings and certain traits, whereas this pattern was absent among females. Content analysis of bird nest stories revealed themes of absent parent birds, food-seeking, loneliness, and abandonment. In drawings of nonexistent animals, recurrent themes included aggression, lethality, and wildness. Conclusion: The findings suggest that drawing-based tests can provide valuable insights into the attachment patterns and aggression tendencies of individuals with psychosomatic skin diseases, highlighting the potential of such tools for psychological assessment in this population.