A computer system using a structured mandala to differentiate and identify psychological disorders

•The computer system for the structured mandala (CSSM).•Sixty seven elements of a structured mandala that differentiate psychological disorders.•A logistic regression model to identify psychological disorders.•Automation and standardization of structured mandala as an art therapy assessment.•Reliability, validity, and usefulness of the CSSM as an art therapy assessment.

The Computer System for the Structured Mandala (CSSM) has been developed to quantitatively and automatically evaluate color-related elements in a structured mandala, find the statistically significant elements that differentiate the four groups of non-patients, anxious patients, depressed patients, and schizophrenic patients, and identify which of the four groups drew the mandala. A total of 495 samples of structured mandalas were obtained from the four groups. The system applied the statistical methods of factor analysis and regression analysis. The system found 67 statistically significant elements and successfully identified the group based on only a structured mandala without further information. The CSSM contributes to the automation and standardization of the structured mandala as an art therapy assessment with high reliability, validity, and usefulness. The system can be used as an assessment for other art therapy dealing with various psychological disorders.