"Art Therapy" in Acute Psychiatry

Schizophrenia Clinical Trial

Official title:

"Art Therapy" in Acute Psychiatry: a Psychosocial Intervention

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03575442
• Other study ID #: CHUC-007-17
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 1, 2017
• Est. completion date: December 2020

Study information

• Verified date: March 2019
• Source: Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, E.P.E.
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Background: Given the complexity of this problem, psychiatric in-patients in the acute stage of their disease need different types of therapeutic programs to recover they mental health state. Usually they're submitted to systematic biological programs (namely psychopharmaceuticals), often considered a priority when compared to psychosocial programs. Among the different therapies that have been introduced in this context "art therapy", also named creative therapy, can constitute a treatment that complements the allopathic treatments, providing improvements in self-esteem and self-efficiency, distraction and relief from concerns and negative thoughts. Scientific evidence on the effects of psychosocial programs in the context of hospitalization of acute cases is scarce.

Aims: a) evaluate the effectiveness of a 3 session program of "art therapy" in changing emotional indicators, namely depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being, in individuals with mental illness; b) analyze the meanings a person attributes to his creative self-expression.

Method: This is a pre-experimental, prospective study, with a pre test-post test design without control group, with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative). The study was performed in the psychiatry unit (Psiquiatria B), in the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra - Portugal. The target population was composed by men (older than 18), hospitalized in this ward. The exclusion criteria were: individuals with active psychotic symptomology, in manic phase and/or refusing to participate. The instruments used to collect information were: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale [DASS-21]; Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB

• 18 item version) and a semi-structured interview.

Data collection and the development of this study occurred in the following manner:

• Initial evaluation to verify the sample selection criteria in the first 48 hours after patient hospitalization;

• Obtain informed consent for the application of instruments and participation in the "art therapy" intervention program;

• Application of instruments (DASS-21 and SPWB-18 item version) before intervention;

• Development of the program applied as a group, during three weeks, one session a week, each lasting approximately 90 minutes and assisted by a specialist in plastic expression. Each session was held in an occupational therapy room, including all the material deemed necessary for the execution of some of the techniques introduced by the technician. After each session, a semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant in order to analyze the meanings attributed.

• In the end of the program, the same instruments were reapplied.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: December 2020
• Est. primary completion date: March 1, 2018
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• men (older than 18), hospitalized in a psychiatric unit;

• capable of communicating and understanding communication;

• acceptance and commitment to participate in the study;

• signature of study informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• individuals with active psychotic symptomology, in manic phase and/or refusing to participate.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Disease
• Mental Disorder
• Mental Disorders
• Mood Disorders
• Nurse-Patient Relations
• Schizophrenia

Intervention

Behavioral:
• 3 session program of "art therapy"
With this program, we expect to offer socio-emotional well-being in the psychiatric context, and creative self-expression through painting. In addition, we hope to provide contributions towards the creation of quality standards of the professional practice of nurses, within the context of implementing psychosocial programs in mental health.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Portugal	Psiquiatria B - Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra	Coimbra

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, E.P.E.

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Portugal, 

References & Publications (10)

Blomdahl, C., Gunnarsson, B., Guregard, S., Bjorklund, A. A realist review of art therapy for clients with depression. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2013; 40(3): 322-330.

Davidson, L., Sells, D., Sangster, S., O'Connell, M. Qualitative studies of recovery: What can we learn from the person? In R. Ralph, & P. Corrigan (Eds.), Recovery in Mental Illness - Broadening our understanding of wellness. Washington, 2005, DC: American Psychological Association.

Laranjeira C, Campos C, Bessa A, Neves G, Marques MI. Mental Health Recovery Through "Art Therapy": A Pilot Study in Portuguese Acute Inpatient Setting. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2019 May;40(5):399-404. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2018.1563255. Epub 2019 Apr 3. — View Citation

Montag C, Haase L, Seidel D, Bayerl M, Gallinat J, Herrmann U, Dannecker K. A pilot RCT of psychodynamic group art therapy for patients in acute psychotic episodes: feasibility, impact on symptoms and mentalising capacity. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 13;9(11):e112348. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112348. eCollection 2014. — View Citation

Noiseux S, St-Cyr Tribble D, Leclerc C, Ricard N, Corin E, Morissette R, Lambert R. Developing a model of recovery in mental health. BMC Health Serv Res. 2009 May 1;9:73. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-9-73. — View Citation

Stickley T, Hui A, Morgan J, Bertram G. Experiences and constructions of art: a narrative-discourse analysis. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2007 Dec;14(8):783-90. — View Citation

Stickley T, Hui A. Arts In-Reach: taking 'bricks off shoulders' in adult mental health inpatient care. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2012 Jun;19(5):402-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2850.2011.01811.x. Epub 2011 Sep 20. — View Citation

Teglbjaerg HS. Art therapy may reduce psychopathology in schizophrenia by strengthening the patients' sense of self: a qualitative extended case report. Psychopathology. 2011;44(5):314-8. doi: 10.1159/000325025. Epub 2011 Jun 9. — View Citation

Thyme, K., Sundin, E., Stahlberg, G., Lindstrom, B. Eklof, H., Wiberg, B. The outcome of short term psychodynamic art therapy compared to short term psychodynamic verbal therapy for depressed women. Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. 2007; (21): 251-264.

Van Lith, T. Art therapy in mental health: A systematic review of approaches and practices. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2016; 47: 9-22.

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change from Baseline in the participant's emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress	Outcome measure - Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale [DASS-21] - (Lovibond et al.,1995 adapted by Apóstolo, Mendes & Azeredo, 2006)	Post-intervention assessment (week 3)
Primary	Change from Baseline in the participant's psychological well-being	Outcome measure - Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB - 18 item version) - (Ryff, 1989 adapted by Novo, Neto, Marcelino & Santo, 2006)	Post-intervention assessment (week 3)
Primary	Semi-structured interview	Aim: explore in a psychiatric context [in the acute stage of the disease] the sick person's experiences related to expression by painting after each of three scheduled interviews, during hospitalization.	Post-intervention assessment (week 3)