Narrative art therapy as a means of correcting the tendency to addictions in students

Background. The relevance of the study is due to the insufficient study of the synthesis of narrative and art therapy methods in the context of university correction. Most studies focus on clinical populations, while the preventive use of this approach in the educational environment remains poorly studied. In addition, the specificity of student age, characterized by the search for identity and high susceptibility to creative methods, opens up opportunities for the development of age-oriented programs that combine academic tasks with psychological support. Traditional methods based on risk information demonstrate limited effectiveness, which actualizes the search for innovative approaches focused on the deep emotional and cognitive mechanisms of addictions.

Purpose. Development and testing of a narrative art-therapeutic system of measures for the correction of addictive behavior, taking into account the polydependent personality profile of university students.

Materials and methods. The empirical base of the study included 230 students of higher educational institutions of Cheboksary, Chuvashia Republic (M = 18.3; SD = 1.2). Research methods: theoretical analysis of the problem of research on correction, therapy, prevention of addictions in students in scientific literature, pedagogical experiment (ascertaining, formative and control stages), quantitative, qualitative, statistical analysis of data (Spearman correlation measure (rₛ), Pearson χ²-criterion).

Results. The polydependent profile of students represents a dimensional variant of addictive behavior, where core elements (nicotine and digital addictions) act as predictors of comorbidity, and peripheral ones are compensatory adaptation mechanisms. Targeted correction should focus on strengthening self-government functions and forming alternative coping strategies. Narrative art therapy promotes the activation of self-regulation resources by combining reflection (narrative) and creative catharsis (art practice), which enhances emotional literacy and coping strategies. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the integration of narrative and art therapeutic methods in the context of addiction correction in students, as well as in identifying specific mechanisms that mediate the relationship between creative self-expression, reflection and reducing the risk of addictive behavior.