Effects of Mindful Painting Group Intervention on Anxiety and Peer Relationship Among Adolescent Girls Living in Single‐Parent Families in Macao

ABSTRACT Adolescent girls from single‐parent families often face psychosocial challenges. The mindful painting group intervention has gained increasing attention in recent years but lacks adequate research, especially in China. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of this approach on anxiety, active procrastination and peer relationships among Chinese adolescent girls. Using mixed methods and a quasi‐experimental design, this study involved 20 teenage girls from single‐parent families, with 10 girls each assigned to either the treatment or control groups. Participants in the treatment group received 8 weeks of mindful painting intervention, while participants in the control group were treated as usual. The quantitative findings revealed a significant decrease in anxiety and a significant increase in active procrastination and peer relationship quality in the treatment group before and after the intervention. No significant change was found in the control group. Furthermore, qualitative findings revealed participants' active expression of academic stress and anxiety, promotion of peer relationships and support, enhancement of self‐awareness and acceptance and reduction of anxiety. The findings provide empirical evidence for social workers to adopt the mindful painting intervention for addressing psychosocial challenges and a group collaborative approach to facilitate the exchange of participants' experiences and enhance emotional responsiveness among them.