Comparing Family Drawing Test Indices and Behavioral Problems between Iranian and Afghan Emigrant Children, Isfahan Province, Iran

Background: Immigration can be accompanied by many psychological outcomes for emigrant families. Objectives: The present study aimed to compare family drawing test indices and behavioral problems among Iranian and Afghan emigrant children. Methods: The research design was a comparative and cross-sectional study. We included 550 Iranian and Afghan students aged 7 - 11 years in Isfahan Province from April to June 2017. Achenbach Behavioral Problem questionnaire (2001) was sent to their mothers for filling, and Drawing Family Test was conducted. After reducing the number of dropout students, the final sample reached 282 students (including 174 Iranian students and 108 Afghan immigrants)., SPSS-23 software and chi-square tests as well as multivariate analysis of variance were used for analyzing data. Results: The results of the chi-square test showed that there was a significant difference in some of the drawing indices, including size, rhythm, location of drawing, valuation, removal of person, and distances between two groups of Iranian students and Afghan migrants (P < 0.05). Also, the results of multivariate analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant difference among mean scores of behavioral problems and dimensions of somatization, thinking problems and anti-social problems in the two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in other variables. Conclusions: According to the results, the children of the Afghan refugee group have more both behavioral problems and drawing indices than the Iranian group.