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Balla L. Psychological features of the emotional sphere of preschool children during the war and its harmonization by means of art therapy and fairy tale therapy

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Lydmyla Balla – Lecturer of the Department of Theory and Methods of Preschool Education. Municipal Establishment “Kharkiv Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy” of the Kharkiv Regional Council, Kharkiv, (Ukraine)

ORCID 0000-0001-7225-9001

 

DOI - https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2026.1.11

 

Keywords: preschool children, emotional state, emotional intelligence, emotional stability, resilience, harmonization methods, art therapy, fairy tale therapy

 

The article is devoted to the theoretical, methodological, and practical analysis of the emotional sphere characteristics of older preschool children living under martial law conditions in Ukraine. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to minimize the negative consequences of the chronic psychotraumatic impact of war on the mental health of the youngest members of society – preschool children.

The paper thoroughly analyzes destructive changes in the emotional sphere of older preschool children, including increased anxiety, fears, aggressiveness, and emotional lability (instability) caused by chronic wartime stress. The study identifies and systematizes the specific manifestations of such negative emotional states as heightened situational and personal anxiety, childhood fears, frustration-related aggression, and pronounced emotional instability. It is proven that these manifestations are a direct consequence of children’s prolonged stay in a stressogenic environment caused by military actions carried out by the aggressor state.

The psychotherapeutic, developmental, corrective, and restorative potential of art therapy methods (drawing) and fairy tale therapy (working with authorial and therapeutic fairy tales) has been scientifically substantiated. It has been determined that the integration of these approaches serves as an ecological, gentle, and non-traumatizing tool for stabilizing children’s psyche, enabling children to safely verbalize and project their inner experiences.

As a result of the study, a model of a comprehensive psychological harmonization program for the emotional sphere of preschool children is presented. The program is aimed at transforming anxiety states, restoring the basic sense of safety and trust in the world, as well as significantly strengthening the individual adaptive resources and resilience of preschool children.

The results of the study have practical value for practicing psychologists, preschool education specialists, parents, and preschool educators.

 

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Date of initial submission of the article to the journal: 24.04.2026
Date of acceptance of the article for publication after peer review: 18.05.2026
Date of publication of the article: 31.05.2026

 

Publisher National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine, 2026

This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.en

 

How to cite: Balla L. Psychological Features of the Emotional Sphere of Preschool Children during the War and Their Harmonization by Means of Art and Fairy-Tale Therapy. Disaster and Crisis Psychology Problems. 1(11). 2026. P. 134-143. https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2026.1.11

Issue 1(11)-2026

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