Intérêts psychothérapiques du dessin du bonhomme dans le champ de la vieillesse

Abstract

ObjectivesThe Draw-A-Person test is a well-known tool, generally used with children. Few studies have considered its relevance for an aging cohort ; and those that exist have sought, using a psychometric approach, to diagnose dementia or even depression. Favoring a subjective analysis, this study underlines the complementary interests of the benefits of drawing, such as psychological resources that are called upon and the various issues faced at this stage of life. MethodsSix drawings collected by a psychologist working in a nursing home constitute the basis of our investigation. The participants are between 64 and 95 years old. The analysis of the drawings is based on a frame of reference that is both phenomenological and psychoanalytical. As such, it draws on the subjects’ history and their experiences. ResultsThe various analyses make it possible to identify several issues that extend well beyond the sphere of dementia. In this sense, the use of the DAP test can be very useful for psychotherapeutic support and clinical research. Death anxiety, sense of identity, persecution anxiety, self-esteem, fragmentation phenomena, gendered identification, and depressive movements are some of the elements listed during our study. Drawing appears as a valuable tool with geriatric populations. DiscussionThe clinical approach to the drawing of a person calls various studies into question. Its use and study require adaptation, the modalities of which have been identified. ConclusionThe use of drawing people remains relevant in the context of psychotherapeutic support and also makes it possible to define the latter.