Abstract:
This study was implemented to understand ―dramatherapy as a remedial intervention
towards adolescents with conduct disorder‖. The research aimed in finding the
influential nature of dramatherapy to reduce the negative impact of aggressive
behavior of adolescents towards the society, and to make dramatherapy a formal
discipline in Sri Lanka. In order to realize this aim, the study had a process of
fulfilling four relevant objectives.According to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders, fifth edition), Conduct Disorder (CD) is diagnosed typically in
individuals from 11 to 18 years, who habitually violate the rights of others, and will not
conform their behaviour to the law or social norms appropriate for their age.Dramatherapy is
the use of drama and theatre processes with a healing intention. Role play, positive
imagination, dialogue exercises, scripting, spectrogram, mask work, catharsis
techniques, psychodrama, imaginative exercises, playback theatre, Stanislavskian
acting techniques, theatre games, theatre exercises, and music and movement therapy
have been used as techniques in dramatherapy all over the world, to heal
psychological illnesses. As a qualitative research, this had a case study design, and
also utilized a minimal number of quantitative tools for data collection. Hence, this
was a mixed method research. For this study, adolescents in the age range of 11 to 18
years were selected from a rehabilitation center of the Department of Probation,
Western Province. Out of a number of 42 adolescents in the rehabilitation center, 15
adolescents who displayed symptoms of conduct disorder were identified, as a
purposive sample for this study. The dramatherapy intervention continued for a period
of 8 months. Dramatherapy sessions were held twice a week, and the duration of each
dramatherapy session was two hours. Data was analyzed as pre- and post-intervention.
According to the analysis, reduction of conduct problems was visible in nine (n=9)
subjects. There was no visible change in those having sexual and drug addiction.
Attitudinal improvement was visible in all fifteen subjects (n=15).