The Effect of Art-Psychodrama Group Intervention on Alexithymia and Psychological Flexibility in Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders

Objective This study investigated the effects of an art psychodrama–based group intervention on psychological flexibility and alexithymia in adolescents with substance use disorders undergoing inpatient treatment at a ÇEMATEM unit.Methods A randomized controlled experimental design was used. Adolescents were assigned to experimental or control groups. The Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory–Short Form and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale were administered pre- and post-intervention. Within- and between-group comparisons were performed.Results No significant pre–post change was observed in the rigidity subdimension of psychological flexibility, though the experimental group showed a decreasing trend. A significant reduction was found in the difficulty identifying feelings subscale of the TAS in the experimental group compared to controls (p = 0.044). Decreases in difficulty describing feelings, externally oriented thinking, and total alexithymia scores were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Psychological flexibility scores increased in the experimental group, but this improvement was not statistically significant.Conclusion The art psychodrama–based intervention improved emotional identification in adolescents with substance use disorders. However, effects on psychological flexibility and other alexithymia dimensions were limited. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm clinical effectiveness.