Effects of Sandplay Therapy on the Emotional Clarity and Brain Indexes Related to Self-Regulation of Female Delinquent Juveniles

This study was conducted to verify the effects of sandplay therapy on the emotional clarity and brainwave indexes related to self-regulation in female juvenile delinquents. Ten female juvenile delinquents in a juvenile reformatory who were 15 to 19 years old were selected as the experimental group. For control group, ten female juvenile delinquents in OO Women’s High School recommended by their teacher were selected. The sandplay therapy program was performed for about 60 minutes once every week for 10 sessions in total. Tests were conducted with the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) before and after the intervention of the sandplay therapy program. To check the changes in brainwave indexes after each session, the brainwaves were measured before and after each session. The findings from this study can be summed up as follows: First, the emotional clarity of the experimental group significantly increased after the sandplay therapy. Second, the brainwave indexes related to self-regulation of the experimental group significantly increased after the sandplay therpay as well. Consequently, this study verified that the sandplay therapy was effective in preventing the relapse of the female juvenile delinquents by improving their emotional clarity and changing their brainwave indexes, thereby improving their adaptability to reality through self growth.