The Study on the Relationship between Drama/ Theatre Education, Students’ Mental Health and Social Adaptation｜DaTEAsia Vol. 1

APA Citation

Huang, A., Fu, S. (2010). The study on the relationship between drama / theatre education, students’ mental health and social adaptation. The Journal of Drama and Theatre Education in Asia. 1, 97-112.

The mental health condition of students has become a critical issue among the field of education. This paper aims to explore the relationship between drama/theatre education, students’ mental health and social adaptation. The result of a sample interview with 800 students from colleges, secondary and primary schools in Hangzhou tells us the more the students join drama activities, the less they suffer from social anxiety. In the inclination towards solitary, interpersonal sensitivity and impulsion, students who less participating in drama activities would have a stronger feeling of them, which means their mental health condition is more threatened.

In college level, students who enjoy drama performances have a higher sense of happiness. Also, the coping styles vary among students who enjoy drama and those who don’t. People play dramas prefer to seek help when they meet problems rather than choosing an immature attitude to escape from difficulties.

From the above result we can conclude, there is a close relationship between drama education, mental health and social adaptation. Drama education helps improving student’s mental health quality and adaptability. It is an effective way for the mental health education of students.