Art Therapy and Acceptance, an Approach to Treatment for Children with Chronic Pain

Abstract

The objective of the study was to develop an art psychotherapy treatment approach for pediatric chronic pain that incorporates the concept of acceptance. The design of the study was literature-based and used a grounded theory method of data analysis. This study explored an intersection of the topical areas of art therapy, pediatric chronic pain, and acceptance. The major findings of the study were five interactive components that created a theoretical approach called the Art Therapy Acceptance Approach (ATAA). The five components are Multiple factors in pediatric chronic pain, Therapeutic relationship, Developing capabilities, Imagination and Attention. The core category which was identified in each of the components is called Discovering possibilities through acceptance. The core category suggested how acceptance may function within the ATAA. Acceptance is identified as part of a process of discovering possibilities, or finding options within the context of each of the components of the ATAA. For example acceptance of a biopsychosocial approach to chronic pain is theorized to be connected to finding greater options for treatment such as complementary therapies. This study considered whether children who are in the concrete operational stage of cognitive development, and who experience chronic pain, may be able to understand and benefit from acceptance if it is introduced through metaphor, storytelling, or image in art therapy. The data contributing to three components of the ATAA, in particular, supported this theory. A significant implication of the ATAA is the suggestion of a new treatment approach for children ages 7-12, to manage chronic pain. Related clinical recommendations included art therapy assessments of developmental level and a multidisciplinary treatment setting for the ATAA. Limitations in data sources, particularly in the topical areas of acceptance, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, and art therapy impacted the validity of the model. It was suggested that research evaluating the clinical application of the ATAA model would benefit fromresearch that examined the impact of parents’ participation on clinical interventions for children with chronic pain, how school-aged children use metaphor in art therapy, and how family art therapy may contribute to children’s ability to manage chronic pain and parents’ ability to care for a child with chronic pain.%%%%M.A., Creative Arts in Therapy – Drexel University, 2009