Effectiveness of group art therapy for mothers of children with disabilities

The effect of mandala art therapy on the comfort and resilience levels of mothers who have children with special needs: A randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

The study was conducted in order to determine the effect of mandala therapy applied to mothers who have children with special needs on the mothers' comfort and resilience levels.

METHODS

The study was conducted as a randomized controlled study at a special education school in Turkey. The study sample consisted of 51 mothers (24 mothers in the experimental group and 27 mothers in the control group) who had children with special needs. A 16-h mandala therapy was applied to the mothers in the experimental group. Identifying Information Form, General Comfort Questionnaire and Adult Resilience Scale were used as data collection tools.

RESULTS

According to the regression analysis performed in order to explain the difference between the first and third measurements of General Comfort Questionnaire, mandala art therapy was found to be effective, and the model established was determined to be statistically significant. It was also determined that the change that occurred between the third and first measurements performed in order to identify the change in the general comfort levels of the individuals was higher in the experimental group in comparison to the control group (P < 0.05). It was seen that the mothers' mean scores obtained from the Adult Resilience Scale total scale and its subscales significantly increased in the second and third measurements (P < 0.05) but that the increase in the mean scores of the control group was not significant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Mandala Art Therapy is a method that improves the comfort levels and resilience of mothers who have children with special needs. It might be beneficial for mothers to perform these applications at special education schools in collaboration with nurses.

Mixed-mode Zentangle and Pastel Nagomi artwork for improving mental well-being in university students during COVID-19 pandemic - a randomized controlled feasibility trial

Background

University students are identified as a high-risk group for mental health problems. Artworks have been found effective in enhancing individuals' mental well-being in different populations, but none have been conducted on university students. This study was to address this research gap to determine the feasibility and estimate the preliminary effects of Zentangle and Pastel Nagomi on the mental well-being of undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

This was a 3-arm randomized controlled trial, with 33 undergraduates allocated to two 8-week artworks (Zentangle or Pastel Nagomi Art group) and a control group. Data were collected at baseline, and weeks 4, 6, 8, and 12. Focus group interviews were conducted at the 12-week follow-up.

Results

The consent and attrition rates were 80.5 and 6.06%, respectively. The attendance rate ranged from 83.3 to 100%. Compared with the control group, the Pastel Nagomi art group had a significant improvement in retaining positive affect at week 6. This retention could be further observed at week 12. Moreover, the Zentangle group had a significant increase in positive affect at week 4, with better retention at week 12. In addition, the within-group analyses showed that the Pastel Nagomi art group had significantly decreased negative affect at weeks 6 and week 12; and the Zentangle group had significantly decreased depression at week 8. The qualitative findings suggested that the intervention resulted in the participants enjoying the artwork process, and being proud of their artwork and personal growth.

Limitation

The study included an imbalance number of online vs. face-to-face sessions, and repeated measures may have affected the results.

Conclusion

The study suggests that both artworks are effective in improving undergraduates' mental well-being and that it is feasible to conduct future large-scale studies (263 words).

Group Schema Therapy for Reducing Parenting Stress in Families with Children with Disabilities

Parents experience stress that manifests itself as a negative reaction to the situation when the demands of being a parent exceed the expectations of oneself as a parent. Stress level in parents of children with disabilities is significantly higher than in standard families. Schema therapy is an effective psychological intervention for managing this stress. The paper reviews foreign and Russian publications on schema therapy for parents of children with special needs. The comparative analysis showed that schema-therapy approach might have higher efficacy in managing this type of stress than other popular psychotherapeutic approaches, e.g., CBT, MCT, PST, etc. These approaches often focus on teaching specific parenting skills or changing parents' behavior and attitude but leave behind their emotional well-being. Schema therapy develops effective parenting skills and behavioral practices while teaching emotion management strategies. A comprehensive schema therapy program may reduce stress in parents of children with disabilities. 

A Parent-Focused Creative Approach as a Treatment for a High-Functioning Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Korea: A Case Study

This study was conducted on a 6-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Korea. The case was initiated in February 2015, and intensive treatment was provided for one year. Then, the case was monitored over the course of 6 years until December 2021. The intervention plan was an art therapy-based treatment plan (Individual Therapeutic Education Plan: ITEP) with two integral foci: (1) creative arts-based parent counseling and education and (2) didactic art therapy with the child. This was a new type of integral approach that was not a standard of care practice in Korea, acknowledging the importance of including parents in therapy and the notion of creative arts therapy. There was no scientific evidence supporting this qualitive approach; however, the intervention was a notable success, sustaining a positive outcome-the intervention (1) reduced the anxiety levels of both the mother and the child in the short term; (2) enhanced the child-parent relationship as well as the home environment of the child while the art therapy-based counseling and education increased the mother's competence; and (3) enhanced the communicative and adaptive functioning of the child and the mother, with art becoming the supportive breakthrough for their emotional obstacles. The findings suggest that a parent-focused creative approach impacts parental changes and child development: the evidence indicates that parent-driven interventions are a viable option for parents and children with ASD to build a better home environment that supports the child's development.

An Investigation into Art Therapy Aided Health and Well-Being Research: A 75-Year Bibliometric Analysis

Considering the physical, and psychological impacts and challenges brought about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), art therapy (AT) provides opportunities to promote human health and well-being. There are few systematic analysis studies in the fields of AT, which can provide content and direction for the potential value and impact of AT. Therefore, this paper aims to critically analyze the published work in the field of AT from the perspective of promoting health and well-being, and provides insights into current research status, hotspots, limitations, and future development trends of AT. This paper adopts a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative analysis including bibliometric analysis and keyword co-occurrence analysis. The results indicate that: (1) the current studies on AT are mostly related to research and therapeutic methods, types of AT, research populations and diseases, and evaluation of therapeutic effect of AT. The research method of AT mainly adopts qualitative research, among which creative arts therapy and group AT are common types of AT, and its main research populations are children, veterans, and adolescents. AT-aided diseases are trauma, depression, psychosis, dementia, and cancer. In addition, the therapeutic methods are mainly related to psychotherapy, drama, music, and dance/movement. Further, computer systems are an important evaluation tool in the research of AT; (2) the future development trend of AT-aided health and well-being based on research hotspots, could be focused on children, schizophrenia, well-being, mental health, palliative care, veterans, and the elderly within the context of addressing COVID-19 challenges; and (3) future AT-aided health and well-being could pay more attention to innovate and integrate the therapeutic methods of behavior, movement, and technology, such as virtual reality and remote supervision.