Creative arts groups in psychiatric care Development and evaluation of a therapeutic alternative

Abstract

Creative arts and non-verbal psychotherapy methods have been introduced as an alternative or a complement to conventional verbal therapies and pharmacotherapy for patients with various psychiatric disorders. The application of a structured creative arts group program for 4 weeks was tested in 58 markedly impaired patients with different diagnoses. The program included body awareness, receptive music therapy (GIM), art therapy, occupational therapy, and verbal group therapy. Outcome of symptoms, interpersonal difficulties, and health potential were assessed with self-rating scales and internal and external evaluations. Eighty-eight per cent of the patients completed the program with significant improvements in all instruments and most subscales. The study design with a uniform treatment for a heterogeneous patient population gave useful information about indications and contraindications for subgroups of patients and for development of creative arts techniques for different patient requirements. Thus patients with an anamnesis of trauma had significantly better treatment results than those without trauma. The results indicate that creative arts therapy may be used as a treatment alternative in cases in which pharmacotherapy and conventional verbal psychotherapy have failed.