Analysis of initial sandplay characteristics among university students with different levels of loneliness.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is detrimental to mental health, with university students at higher risk of feeling lonely than other population groups. The mental health of college students is a hot topic at present. Despite numerous studies exploring interventions for loneliness among university students. However, little research has explored early psychological manifestations of university students with different levels of loneliness. Despite numerous studies exploring interventions for loneliness among university students, little research has explored early psychological manifestations of university students with different levels of loneliness. Initial sandplay is a good tool to reveal psychological activity. Therefore, our study aims to explore the characteristics of initial sandplay application among university students with different levels of loneliness. METHODS: We recruited 60 volunteers from a university to perform a sandplay experiment from January to April 2021. The UCLA Loneliness Scale measured the levels of loneliness. These 60 participants were divided into the experimental group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30) according to their levels of loneliness. The experimental group included participants with a scale score of more than 44. Other participants with a scale score of less than 44 belong to the control group. We recorded their sandplay artwork and statistically analyzed it by the Sandplay Process Record Form. Group comparisons were performed using the t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables, and the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. The logistic regression analysis by forward stepwise method was conducted to analyze the sandplay theme features for loneliness. RESULTS: Regarding the sandplay tools, the experimental group used fewer transportation tools (t=-3.608, p < 0.01) and more natural elements (t = 2.176, p < 0.05) than the control group. Moreover, the experimental group created more natural scenes (χ2 = 4.310, p < 0.05) and used less of the lower left (χ2 = 4.593, p < 0.05) and lower right (χ2 = 5.934, p < 0.05) spaces. With regards to sand changes, the experimental group was less likely than the control group to make substantial changes (χ2 = 5.711, p < 0.05) and more likely to make almost no changes (χ2 = 4.022, p < 0.05). In terms of the themes, the experimental group was more likely to exhibit sandplay artwork themes of emptiness (χ2 = 8.864, p < 0.05) and neglect (χ2 = 6.667, p < 0.05), and less likely to show themes of energy (χ2 = 5.079, p < 0.05). In the logistic regression analysis of the sandplay themes, emptiness (OR = 5.714, 95%CI: 1.724-18.944, p = 0.003) and neglect (OR = 7.000, 95%CI: 1.381-35.479, p = 0.010) were demonstrated a nominal association with high levels of loneliness among both groups (F = 16.091, p < 0.01, ΔR2 = 0.193), but failed to pass the Bonferroni testing correction (p threshold < 0.0025). CONCLUSION: University students with higher degree of loneliness do not like to drastic changes and prefer to use natural elements in element selection, while the control group likes to drastic changes and prefers to use transportation tools in element selection. Regression analysis of sandplay theme features revealed emptines and neglect may as significant associated factors for loneliness. We propose sandplay characteristics can help identify university students with different levels of loneliness during psychological evaluations. Therefore, it is important that the school and healthcare systems assist college students in identifying the loneliness through initial sandplay and carrying on the necessary psychological counseling to the lonely student population.

Eye movement verification and evaluation of initial sandplay picture system for internet addiction symptoms in Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Sandplay therapy is a psychotherapeutic technique, based on the psychoanalytic theory of the unconscious. Nearly a century after it was developed, sandplay can now be applied for the initial diagnosis tools for sand players. The goal of the current research is to demonstrate the role of sandplay in identifying internet-addicted adolescents in China. The study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity for sandplay as a diagnosis and evaluation tool for internet addiction symptoms, and to verify the consistency that exists between results based on sandplay pictures and those based on the Pathological Internet Usage Scale for Adolescents (APIUS). METHODS: The research was conducted with a 2 × 2 mixed factorial design - two types of participants (addicts and non-addicts) and two types of sandplay pictures (pictures for addicts and pictures for non-addicts). An absolute recognition-judgment paradigm was used along with eye movement evaluations to evaluate the existing initial sandplay picture system for internet addiction symptoms (22 sandplay pictures, 11 related to addicts and 11 related to non-addicts, respectively). Sixty Chinese adolescents were selected as the participants (30 as addicts and 30 as non-addicts) according to the APIUS. RESULTS: (1) The initial sandplay pictures for internet addicts are clearly preferred by Chinese internet-addicted adolescents, which are more familiar and easier to process; (2) Such pictures have a higher level of emotional arousal and cognitive resonance for the addicts; (3) Track and heat maps indicate that young internet addicts mainly fixate on the initial sandplay pictures for internet addicts. CONCLUSION: This initial sandplay picture system can be used to screen and identify young Chinese internet addicts based on symptoms, and the evaluation results are consistent with those based on the APIUS.

Characteristics in Initial Sandplay of Optimal and Non-optimal Family Functioning Among High School Students.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of the initial sandplay of high school students with poor family function, by studying the initial sandplay of high school students with different levels of family function, so as to provide the basics for the psychological assessment and intervention of high school students. Significance: To provide data support for high school students' mental health education and sandplay therapy, and to apply sandplay as an intervention method to play a healing role in high school mental health work. Methods: High school students (N = 345) were divided into 11 groups and participated in a sandplay experiment for 8 weeks from February to March 2021. Each group completed the Chinese version of the Epstein et al. Family Assessment Device. Samples with scores of one standard deviation below and above the sample mean were placed in the low family functioning group (n = 30; 15 girls) or high family functioning group (n = 30; 15 girls), respectively. The initial sandplay was evaluated on multiple dimensions using an established coding system. Results: Samples with low family functioning used fewer animal figurines in their sandplay (t = 2.176, p < 0.05); had more family scenes (χ2 = 4.356, p < 0.05); fewer rural scenes (χ2 = 4.344, p < 0.05); and fewer healing themes (t = -2.336, p < 0.05). In particular, there were fewer examples of connected healing themes (χ2 = 7.500, p < 0.05); in-depth healing themes (χ2 = 5.455, p < 0.05); and more hindered trauma themes (χ2 = 4.812, p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis was conducted using the sandplay characteristics as predictors of group membership. Using forward stepwise selection, themes of hindered trauma (B = -2.030) and connected healing (B=1.765) were shown to be significant predictors of group membership (F = 17.784, P < 0.01, ΔR 2 = 0.214). Conclusion: Students who reported high and low family functioning showed significant differences in their sandplay characteristics. We propose sandplay characteristics can help identify low family functioning of adolescents during psychological evaluations.

Comparative study on the characteristics of initial sandplay in college students with high and low gregarious personality / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To compare the characteristics in initial sandplay of college students with high and low gregarious personality,to validate the psychological assessment function of the initial sandplay.Methods Used the 16-PF as the tool to selected the 56 students as the high gregarious group,and 36 students as the low gregarious group.Results On selection of toys,the proportions of high gregarious group were significantly higher than those in low gregarious group in total numbers,plants and daily necessities ((27.77 ± 11.01)vs (20.94 ± 8.76),(7.30 ±6.43)vs(3.25 ±2.85),(3.66 ±2.86)vs(2.25 ±2.57)),and significantly lower in religion toys (0.30 ± 0.47) vs (0.86 ± 1.09).On operation process,the proportion of starting with toys in high gregarious group was significantly higher than that in low gregarious group (94.6％ vs 25％).Their attitudes towards sand were random touch(28.6％ vs 5.6％) and indifference(62.5％ vs 41.7％).They used more grass(55.4％ vs 27.8％),more real characters(83.9％ vs 50％),fewer virtual characters(55.4％ vs 83.3％) and more dynamic changes in creation(14.3％ vs 0％),more applied by the social scene (39.3％ vs 0％).On the theme of sandplay,the high gregarious group was fewer appear by the empty,neglect,injury ((3.6％ vs 19.4％),(0％ vs 8.3％),(0％ vs 8.3％) respectively,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The results show that the high and low gregarious personality have significantly characteristics in initial sandplay.Sandplay is valuable to be a personality assessment tool.

Characteristics in initial sandplay of the interpersonal sensitivity in college students / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ObjectiveTo summarize the characteristics in initial sandplay of the interpersonal sensitivity (IS) in college students,and validate the psychological assessment function of the initial sandplay.MethodsThe research selected the 32 IS college students and 36 healthy students by the symptom checklist 90(SCL-90).All the 68 students applied the initial sandplay operation.The initial sandplay encoding of information was collected by coding table,and analyzed by t test,Chi-square test.ResultsOn selection of toys,the IS group was significantly lower in total,buildings,plants ( ( 18.63 ± 10.93 ) vs ( 29.81 ± 12.25 ),( 1.47 ± 1.52 ) vs ( 2.39 ± 1.68 ),( 3.41 ±4.39) vs(9.72 ±6.67) ),and significantly more in the others( (0.13 ±0.33) vs(0.00 ± 0.00) ).On space utilization,the IS group was lower than the non-IS group in all fields except the left middle and the middle.On operation process,the IS group on attitude to the sand was untouch(59.4％ vs 22.2％ ),less exposed the blue bottom (71.9％ vs 30.6％ ),less use the bridge(68.8％ vs 38.9％ ),more dissatisfaction with the own sandbox(43.8％vs 2.8％ ),more warfare and abstract scene( ( 18.8％ vs 0％ ),(21.9％ vs 2.8％ ) ),and less family and society scene( ( 12.5％ vs 27.8％ ),(25％ vs 41.7％ ) ).On the theme of sandplay,the is group was more appeared by the confusion,empty,split,limit,neglect,injury,threat theme( (25％ vs 5.6％ ),(37.5％ vs 0％ ),(31.3％ vs 0％ ),(40.6％ vs 5.6％ ),(37.5％ vs 2.8％ ),( 15.6％ vs 0％ ),(50％ vs 5.6％ ) ),and less appeared by the integrate,flow and energy theme ((12.5％ vs 38.9％),(3.1％ vs 50％),(28.1％ vs 58.3％)).ConclusionThe results show that the IS group has significantly characteristics in initial sandplay.Sandplay is valuable to be a clinical psychological assessment.