A single case study of digital art therapy for a child with ADHD using the metaverse platform

Abstract

This qualitative case study was conducted to explore experiences and meanings of a child with ADHD in digital art therapy utilizing the metaverse platform. The study participant was an 11-year-old boy living in S city of South Korea who was diagnosed with ADHD. The child participated in a digital art therapy program based on the metaverse platform once a week for 12 sessions from July to October 2022. Through continuous comparative analysis, the following five major themes were identified from collected data: ‘enjoyable and self-directed art activities through gamification of metaverse’, ‘enhanced presence and communication in the virtual environment’, ‘expanded experience and immersion through convergence of virtuality and reality in metaverse’, ‘emotional expression and emotional release through multisensory experiences in metaverse’, and 'personal growth and development through digital art therapy using metaverse’. By utilizing the metaverse platform as a space and tool for digital art therapy, this study’s findings support that factors such as gamification, presence, interactivity, scalability, and multisensory stimulation provided participant with an enhanced therapeutic experience. These findings reveal the potential of the metaverse as an art therapy environment and medium suitable for the digital age. They also provide important implications for the development of art therapy.