‘Strong Kids’: Effects of drama therapy on child resilience after the 2021 German flood disaster

This study examines the effects of drama therapy workshops in schools and kindergartens on strengthening the resilience of the children after the centennial flood disaster in the German Ahrtal in July 2021. The drama therapy intervention reached about 600 children in kindergartens and schools, with N = 238 being part of the main evaluation of the workshop (ages 3–11). The children’s educators completed the 10-item child resilience scale for each participating child ( N = 238) at five points in time: before and immediately after the flood (in hindsight at baseline), before and after the intervention, and at a six-week follow-up; control participants were observed at two additional times ( n = 127; within-group), with a questionnaire before and after a regular school week preceding the workshop week. Within the given limitations of a within-subject design, results suggest that the drama therapy intervention can strengthen child resilience, independent of sex, number of siblings or migration background of the children. Educators’ ratings indicated that child resilience increased significantly from before to after the intervention compared to a regular school week and further increased significantly from after the workshop to the follow-up. Acceptance of the intervention was high. Vulnerable children with the highest social-behavioral problems showed the steepest increase in resilience after the workshops but fell back at follow-up. Children aged 3–4 and severely affected children benefited less and may need an adapted version or longer duration of the intervention. Moderating factors and implications of the findings for child emergency aid and prevention are discussed. • Study on drama therapy (DT) for children 3–11 y after flood disaster 2021 in German Ahrtal. • ‘No child left behind policy’ enabled within-group controlled design on strengthening resilience. • DT increased child resilience significantly after workshops, and again at follow-up. • DT worked independent of sex, family or migration background of the children. • DT may be recommended as an intervention for children 5 y+ after disaster.