Effectiveness of Art Therapy Intervention to Reduce the Level of Parenting Stress and Negative Emotions of Mothers of Hydrocephalus Patients

Abstract

Children with developmental disorders such as hydrocephalus require assistance in carrying out daily activities. In previous studies, many have said that it is important to provide attention to mothers who have children with disabilities, but not many have provided direct interventions to reduce stress levels and negative emotions in mothers. This study aims to see the effectiveness of art therapy intervention in reducing stress levels and negative emotions of participants. This study is an experimental study with a one-group pre-test post-test design involving seven mothers who have an age range of 20-40 years, have children with hydrocephalus, and are directly involved in their care. Differences in stress levels and negative emotions were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) from. Based on the results of analysis using paired sample t-test, it was found that there were significant differences in maternal stress levels (t=8.910, p=.000), negative emotions (z=-2.032, p=.042) and positive emotions (z=-2.371, p= .018). These results suggest that art therapy intervention can reduce the level of parenting stress and negative emotions, and increase positive emotions in mothers who have children with hydrocephalus.