Art therapy for children following adverse childhood experiences: An intervention development study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to complete the planning stage of intervention development for ACTIVATE-C (ACTIVe Art ThErapy for Children in the community), a complex intervention that supports art therapists to improve outcomes for children struggling with social, emotional and mental health difficulties following Adverse Childhood Experiences. The Person-Based Approach to intervention planning was used to identify barriers, facilitators and suggested solutions and ensure that ACTIVATE-C is not just acceptable and usable but also engaging and persuasive. The study included seven art therapists, trained in mentalization-based therapy, with more than three years’ experience practising with children and/or providing clinical supervision. Ten stakeholder workshops resulted in changes to the intervention plan: a written manual became a Digital Health Intervention (DHI), including underlying clinical guiding principles, protocols and training to support art therapists adopt a mentalization-based active stance; intervention materials were clarified; icons and a treatment pathway were added; creative input from therapist and child was highlighted; psychoeducation for children was digitally integrated. The key output of this research is an acceptable planned DHI called ACTIVATE-C, targeting actions required by art therapists to improve outcomes for children who have had Adverse Childhood Experiences. ACTIVATE-C is now ready for optimization.