THE ART-THERAPY AS HEALTH-PRESERVING TECHNOLOGY AT WORK WITH CHILDREN FROM PROBLEM FAMILIES

The considered issue is conditioned by need in studying psycho-social problems of children from problem families and searching for technologies to resolve them. The article is devoted to study of health-saving technologies of art therapy applied to children from problem families. It is established that psycho-social problems are widespread among children and adolescents. According to WHO data, their prevalence worldwide is estimated at 10-20%. These problems can seriously interfere with daily life and increase risk of poor academic performance at school. The study revealed emotional (anxiety, depressive feelings, withdrawn behavior, psychosomatic complaints), behavioral (hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, behavior problems) and social (social isolation, lack of social contacts and interactions) problems of children. It is determined that art therapy technology is used to increase self-esteem and self-awareness, to develop emotional stability, to improve social skills and activity and to reduce stress. In recent years, art therapy, as socio-psychological technology, played important role in solving whole range of tasks to preserve the psycho-social health of children, especially ones from problem families. This method is associated with disclosure of personal creative potential, manifestation of social activity, release of one's hidden energy reserves and, as a result, finding optimal ways to resolve one's problems. It is concluded that application of health-saving art therapy technology can provide children from problem groups of population with opportunity to resolve psycho-social problems through "self-healing", reducing level of social tension, increasing level of emotional well-being.