Expressive Arts Therapy as an Intervention for Existential Struggles Among Female University Students

Abstract

Existential concerns can accompany identity exploration and uncertainty during emerging adulthood. This study examined changes in existential concerns following an expressive arts intervention among female university students in Lahore, Pakistan. A single-group pre-test post-test design was used with 30 women aged 18-25 purposively recruited from a university population of 300 students attending public and private universities. Participants received eight individual sessions incorporating bilateral body mapping, guided drawing, and embodied awareness. The Existential Concerns Questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention. All participants completed the sessions and both assessments. Reported mean scores decreased from 65.86 (SD = 7.05) to 47.96 (SD = 4.58), a mean reduction of 17.90 points, or approximately 27.2% relative to baseline. The reported paired-samples test indicated a statistically significant difference, t (29) = 11.92, p < .001. These findings provide preliminary evidence of lower self-reported existential concerns.  Results indicate EAT can be used to promote emotional regulation, self-awareness and meaning making in the university context. The study points to the importance of non-verbal, non-linguistic therapeutic methods that can be used to deal with existential distress in young women in higher education.