Comparison of Aggressive and Depressive Reactions, and Regression Defence Mechanism in Siblings of Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down Syndrome based on Family Drawing Test

Living with a person with special needs can have long-term emotional effects on their siblings. This study aimed to compare the defense mechanisms of depressive and aggressive reactions and regression in siblings of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Down syndrome based on the family drawing test.

This study is a descriptive cause-and-effect study. The population of this study consisted of children aged 6-12 with siblings with and without ASD or Down syndrome in Rasht in 2020. The sample size was 55 children (15 participants in each group of siblings with autism or Down syndrome and 25 participants in the comparison group). The ASD and Down syndrome groups were selected by the purposive sampling method, and the comparison group was selected by the convenience sampling method. Each child was individually assessed by the Corman’s family drawing test. Data were analyzed by using the chi-square statistical method.

The results showed that there was no significant difference between the three groups in depressive, and aggressive reactions, and regression variables. However, ancillary findings of the study clarified that the differences between the groups are significant in one of the components of the depressive reaction, known as the drawing at the bottom of the page (p = 0.03).

 Living with a person with a developmental disorder may affect the mental health of their siblings. According to the results of this study, it seems that the family drawing test has been somewhat inadequate in separating the status of these children. Therefore, it is necessary to make a reconnaissance based on the family drawing test with caution and to use clinical findings and objective tests for more certainty.