Group Art Therapy Research Articles

Influencing and moderating factors analyzed in the group art therapy of two schizophrenic inpatients

Influencing and moderating factors analyzed in the group art therapy of two schizophrenic inpatients

Clay in Art Therapy: A Case Report of a Sexually Abused Child

Contemporary art therapy has focused little on the healing potential of using clay with children that have experienced sexual abuse. In this case report, I provide a brief introduction of a 12-year-old male followed by a discussion of his clay sculptures made in group art therapy sessions over a two-week period during an inpatient psychiatric stay. The tactile and sensorimotor activity of working with clay provided trauma informed benefits such as focusing on the present-moment experience, safely developing somatic awareness, and cultivating self-regulator capacity. Additionally, the client’s life-like clay objects permitted him the opportunity to create personalized imagery that symbolized his unconscious processes and life experiences and was a key step toward successful transference and artistic sublimation.

Collaborative and side-by-side artmaking: reducing social isolation in refugee youth group art therapy

ABSTRACT Background Research on social isolation in refugee youth is important because it affects their sense of belonging, mental health and wellbeing; integration and acculturation into a new country; education; and future employment opportunities. There is limited art therapy research in Australia in this area, leaving a compelling gap in understanding the effectiveness of collaborative and side-by-side artmaking in group art therapy to connect refugee youth with their peers. Aims This study aimed to explore whether collaborative and side-by-side artmaking in group art therapy would connect youth more effectively; alleviate their social isolation from trauma, displacement and re-settlement experiences; provide a safe environment and platform to express themselves; and improve their mental health and wellbeing. Methods The triangular mixed-methods approach used standardised scales and semi-structured interviews to gather information from youth, teachers and art therapists. Mixed-method data analysis was applied using the Reliable Change Index, line graphs, descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis. Results Refugee youths’ self-esteem and confidence seemed to increase through collaborative and side-by-side artmaking. Results highlighted the importance of social connection, self-esteem, confidence and a sense of safety for making positive connections during artmaking. Conclusions Findings indicate potential benefits of pportunities for refugee youth to connect with their peers in the school environment and of group art therapy. Implications for practice and future research Opportunities could be achieved through collaborative and side-by-side artmaking in group art therapy. A larger study, longer programme and mixed populations in the school setting are recommended for future research. Plain-language summary The research aimed to examine if there was an effect of a six-week art therapy programme on social isolation for five 14–15-year-old female refugee youth. This research is important because social isolation affects youth’s mental health and wellbeing. Through creating art individually and next to each other (side-by-side artmaking), and creating artworks together (collaborative artmaking), the programme aimed to reduce social isolation and increase connections between youth during the sessions and in the school environment. The research was conducted in an early intervention creative therapies service onsite at a Queensland English-language transition secondary school. The service is provided by accredited art therapists and uses creative methods to support culturally diverse refugee youth in resettling, learning and recovering from trauma and stress. During the research, youth participants engaged in art activities, such as drawing and painting, while listening to music. Interventions were designed to establish group bonds, build self-esteem and resilience, and empower youth in a safe and supportive environment. Art therapists and teachers observed youth during the research period, completed standardised scales before and after the programme and participated in semi-structured interviews. The youth participants also completed standardised scales and were interviewed before and after the programme. The results showed that after the six-week programme, youths’ wellbeing and connections to each other increased. Three central themes were identified: (1) social connection is important within the school environment; (2) self-esteem and confidence are related to connecting to others and social isolation; and (3) there is a sense of safety in artmaking individually and collaboratively with peers. The study found that the art therapy programme positively affected youth mental health and wellbeing. This suggests the programme effectively reduced participants’ social isolation, potentially offering positive opportunities to connect other youth at risk of social isolation.

Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Protocol Based on Art Therapy in Patients with Stroke: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Art therapy has a long history of applications in cognitive and motor rehabilitation. More recently, a growing body of scientific literature has highlighted the potential of virtual reality in neurorehabilitation, though it has focused more on the technology itself than on the principles adopted in digital scenarios. This study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial conducted on 40 patients with stroke, comparing conventional therapy (physical therapy for the upper and lower limbs, for posture and balance, cognitive therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and specific therapy for swallowing, bowel, and bladder dysfunctions) to a protocol in which the upper limb physical therapy was substituted with art therapy administered by means of virtual reality exploiting the so-called Michelangelo effect. After 12 sessions, patients in the virtual art therapy group showed a significantly greater improvement in independence in activities of daily living, as assessed by the Barthel Index (interaction of time and group: p = 0.001). Significant differences were also found in terms of upper limb muscle strength (Manual Muscle Test, p < 0.01) and reduction in spasticity (Ashworth scale, p = 0.007) in favor of the experimental group. In the virtual art therapy group, the effectiveness of the intervention was significantly correlated with patient participation (Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale: R = 0.41), patient satisfaction (R = 0.60), and the perceived utility of the intervention by the therapist (R = 0.43). These findings support the efficacy of virtual art therapy leveraging the Michelangelo effect. Further studies should also focus on cognitive domains that could benefit from this type of approach.

The Impact of Group Art Observation on Mentalization for Mothers of Children Diagnosed With ASD

This pilot study explored meaning of shared art observations and their impact on mentalization for five mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, who participated in a 12-week art therapy group, post-intervention reflections on their experiences and art responses designed to assess the mentalization of self and their child before and after the group. The findings suggested that group art observation promoted belonging, facilitated emotional and cognitive learning, and increased comprehension of their child’s diagnosis. The study also demonstrated a visible shift in participants’ mentalization of self and others (perception of their child/relationship). Clinical implications include the distinctive benefits of a shared community gaze for this population, as a vehicle of self-knowing, which enables more effective communication with, about and for their child.

Art and mentalizing in early intervention psychosis: rationale and therapist insights on a new psychoeducational course.

In this paper, we explore the rationale for a combined art therapy and mentalization-based treatment (MBT) group course for those experiencing a first episode of psychosis (FEP). We discuss the theoretical background for how art and MBT theory can help us better understand and work with groups of individuals experiencing FEP, particularly focusing on avoidance and insecure attachment styles. We outline the delivery of a ten-week psychoeducational Art MBT course within an Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) Service and discuss our experiential insights into this new modality as co-therapists. We conclude by proposing that art therapy and mentalizing practice together offer an accessible, useful and practical group structure for EIP services, which could improve individuals' mentalizing capacity and overall social functioning.

한국문화 부적응 결혼이주여성의 문화적응 스트레스 감소와 결혼만족도 향상 소집단미술치료 사례연구

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of small group art therapy on reducing cultural adaptation stress and enhancing marital satisfaction in immigrant women expressing maladjustment to Korean culture. The subjects were married immigrant women who attended a Comprehensive Welfare Center in S city. The small group art therapy programs were implemented 1 to 2 times a week, totaling 13 sessions from January 10th to March 31st, 2024. The Cultural Adaptation Stress Scale, Marital Satisfaction Scale, Person in the Rain (PITR) Drawing Test, and Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD) Test were used as research tools and they were administered as pre- and post-tests for comparison and analysis. Qualitative analysis was conducted on the major changes over time according to these results. In summary, the results of this study indicate that small group art therapy had a positive effect on reducing cultural adaptation stress in married immigrant women expressing maladjustment to Korean culture. In the Person in the Rain (PITR) drawing tests, they showed changes in stress, coping resources, and coping abilities. Secondly, small group art therapy had a positive impact on improving marital satisfaction in married immigrant women expressing maladjustment to Korean culture. The Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD) tests showed changes of conversations and interactions among family members. Thirdly, upon examining qualitative changes, group members visually expressed internal anxiety, leading to alleviation of emotional conflicts and psychological symptoms. Based on the above results, it is significant that small group art therapy suggests the possibility of being utilized as an early intervention program for reducing cultural adaptation stress and enhancing marital satisfaction in married immigrant women expressing maladjustment to Korean culture.

The effect of group art therapy on the stress coping ability of Chinese international students in South Korea: using the person-in-the-rain test.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group therapy on the stress coping skills of Chinese students in Korea using a pre-test post-test control group design. Thirty participants were randomly placed into an experimental group (EG; n = 15) and a control group (CG; n = 15). The EG completed eight 120-min sessions of group art therapy. The Person-in-the-Rain (PITR) drawing test was conducted with both groups before and after the EG completed art therapy. The test revealed that EG members demonstrated lower stress and significantly higher stress resources and coping abilities than the CG members after the intervention. The group art therapy program improved the EG participants' ability to deal with stress. This study's findings may offer insights useful for determining how best to provide psychological and emotional support to international students who have left their home countries and are continuing their academic journeys abroad.

Effect of Interactive Media-Based Music and Art Therapies on Reduction in PTSD Symptoms in Children and Adult Victims of Abduction

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of music and art therapies in reducing symptoms of PTSD among children and adults with abduction experiences in Nigeria. The study was a quasi-experiment with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up assessment design. The participants were divided into control (n = 107), music therapy (n = 108) and art therapy (n = 108) groups. The result of the ANCOVA analysis revealed no significant interactive effect of family happiness on the relationship between the interventions and reduction in PTSD symptoms, F(1,295)0.037 p = 0.848). However, there was a significant main effect of the treatment condition and PTSD scores of the participants at Times 1, 2, and 3, respectively F(1,295). 1640.756, p = 0.001). The degree of the relationship was assessed using partial eta squared, which yielded (ηp 2= 0.848). It was also found that music therapy was more effective in reducing PTSD symptoms in children, while art therapy was more effective in reducing PTSD in adults. The result of this study could be useful for psychologists and mental health experts who may be interested in designing and implementing interventions targeting children and adults with PTSD symptoms. The result also has implications for control mastery theory by showing that music and art therapies could be useful in helping adults and children gain control of their minds after exposure to traumatic events.

Evidence about art-based interventions for Indigenous people: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionIndigenous people experience a unique set of health inequalities and social determinants that can negatively affect their physical health, mental health and wellness. This critical state of affairs is compounded...

초등돌봄교실 아동의 정서조절 및 사회성 향상을 위한 ETC 기반 집단미술치료 사례연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in emotional regulation ability and social skills im-provement of children using elementary school care classes during the ETC-based group art therapy process. Methods For this purpose, a program was created through literature research and supervision, and an art therapy program was conducted for a total of 10 sessions, 80 minutes per session, once a week with three early school-age children attending a local care class in P City, Gyeonggi-do. The results of analyzing the change pat-terns by session and stage of ETC-based group art therapy according to the components of emotion regulation and sociality by collecting institutional reports and interview data, session-specific observation logs, work data, and researchers' research logs are as follows. Results Through group art therapy based on ETC, children improved their ability to regulate their own emotions and understand the emotions of others, and positive changes were seen in appropriately managing the intensity of negative emotions, especially in angry or aggressive situations. . Positive changes in emotion regulation ability were confirmed. In addition, positive changes in social skills centered on interpersonal relationships, cooperation, and sociality were confirmed. Conclusions This study demonstrates that ETC-based group art therapy has a positive effect on improving emo-tional regulation and social skills of children using elementary school care classes, and is expected to provide use-ful guidelines for designing and implementing children's emotional regulation and social development programs.

Developing online group art psychotherapy for children with long-term health conditions

ABSTRACT Background: Paediatric long-term physical health conditions such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis can have a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of children and their families. Arts-based therapies have been shown to have a beneficial effect for this group. Aims: The aim of the study was to develop an online group art therapy intervention for children with long-term physical health conditions. Methods: The process of developing the intervention was informed by guidelines for the development of complex interventions and comprised four key stages: (1) an expert development process, (2) formation of a stakeholder group and (3) decision-making team, (4) identification of relevant literature and use of existing theories/a theoretical model. Results: The GAIN (Group Art Therapy Intervention for communicating Needs of children with long-term conditions) was developed. GAIN comprises a treatment manual, six 90-minute online sessions for children (age 8–11 years) and six 30-minute parent-led home sessions. Conclusions: Next steps are to evaluate the GAIN in a feasibility study. Implications for practice/policy/future research: The intervention has potential to benefit children and their families; it offers a psychosocial approach for integration with medical care of paediatric long-term physical health conditions and aligns with NHS England’s focus on supported self-management of healthcare.

Artway: gallery art therapy group for young people with mental health difficulties

Artway: gallery art therapy group for young people with mental health difficulties

A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of group art therapy for children and adolescents of multicultural families: A focus on Korea

Various policies and support have been implemented to help children and adolescents from multicultural families in Korea to psychologically and socially adapt to society and to improve their quality of life as members of Korean society. In this regard, group art therapy has been widely used and numerous studies have demonstrated its effectiveness. Accordingly, this study investigated the effectiveness of group art therapy in children and adolescents from multicultural families and individual research results were aggregated and analyzed to use as a scientific foundation. A total of eight databases based on English or Korean (Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, PubMed, Google Scholar, RISS, National Library of Korea, and National Assembly Library) were utilized to retrieve all research articles published by August 2022. The final 20 research articles were selected through a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) 2.0 was utilized to analyze the effect size, possible causes of heterogeneity were explored, and publication bias was identified. As a major result, the total effect size was proven to be significantly large (Hedges’ g = 1.81). Furthermore, the largest effect size among the dependent variables was found in the negative domain of psychology/emotion corresponding to emotional and behavioral problems, acculturative stress, and bicultural stress (Hedges’ g = 2.55), followed by the static domain of psychology/emotion (2.29), sociality (1.93), and ego (1.83).

Abstract PO3-11-03: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Benefit of Art &amp; Music Therapy on Quality of Life in Patient with Breast Cancer

Abstract Introduction: Quality of life (QoL) in oncology captures the well-being of a patient and is considered a significant outcome criterion. Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women, however, standardizing integrative therapies to alleviate the burden of cancer and improve QoL is still an unmet need. Art and music therapy might mitigate psychological and emotional distress. We sought to evaluate their efficacy compared to control among patients with BC during or after active therapy. Methods: Seventy-six treated patients with Stages I-III BC were randomly assigned to art, music therapy, or routine oncology care standard of care arm (SOC) for 3 months and received two sessions per month by a licensed therapist (including in-person/virtual and group sessions). The primary outcome was an improvement in QoL measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Breast (FACT-B) questionnaire and secondary outcomes included: cognitive function measured by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Cognition (FACT-Cog), response to a 4-component Cleveland Clinic Visual Analog Scale (CCVAS), indicators of anxiety and depression assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item (PHQ-9). All questionnaires were assessed at baseline, 30, 90, and 180 days. Statistical considerations included stratified randomization, and a mean difference in 15 points between either of the interventions. SOC arm was considered relevant at the 3-month mark. Mean improvement within groups was performed using paired t-tests whereas independent t-tests were used to evaluate mean improvement between interventions (1 or 2 vs. SOC arm). All analyses were performed using SPSS version 26 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results: Forty-five participants completed the study to date and were included in the interim analysis. Median age was 58 (57-59), white race (51.1%), patients on active treatment (45%), art therapy group (n=16), music therapy (n=15) and standard of care (n=14). Significant improvement was noted in the art therapy arm at 3 months in FACT-B physical well-being (p=0.04), functional well-being (p=0.008) domains as well as GAD-7 (p=0.003), PHQ-9 (p=0.04) and FACT-Cog section “impact on quality of life” (p=0.03). At 6 months, the art therapy arm demonstrated lower scores in the CCVAS questionnaire total score, emotional distress (p=0.01) and anxiety (p=0.004) scales. Music therapy participants reported a significant improvement only in GAD-7 index(p=0.04) at 3 and 6 months compared to SOC. No significant difference was found between art and music therapy arms. Conclusion: Art therapy patients exhibited significant improvement in overall QoL (including anxiety, depression, improvement in cognitive function) and 4-scale CCVAS (emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and pain). Music therapy improved anxiety scores (GAD-7). Art and music therapy should be considered in the care of patients to manage cancer associated distress and improve their quality of life. Table 1. Comparison of test changes from 3 months to baseline within groups Table 2. Comparison of test changes from 6 months to baseline within groups Citation Format: Maria Herran, Mohamed Mohanna, Saad Sabbagh, Barbara Dominguez, Kaylee Sarna, Rachel Upton-Rice, Angie Burdine, Zeina Nahleh. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Benefit of Art &amp; Music Therapy on Quality of Life in Patient with Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-11-03.

회상요법을 활용한 집단미술치료가 독거노인의 노화태도와 삶의 질에 미치는 영향

This study examines the effects of reminiscence-based group art therapy on the attitudes toward aging and the quality of life of elderly individuals living alone. The study participants were 24 elderly individuals living alone, aged 65 and older, who use a senior care facility in K City. They were divided into two groups: an exp. group of 12 and a control group of 12. The experimental group underwent 12 sessions of group art therapy once a week from September 5, 2023, to December 12, 2023. The Aging Attitudes Questionnaire(AAQ-21) and the Quality of Life in Ageing Scale(CASP-19) were used as research tools. Differences between groups were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance. The results are as follows. First, the experimental group showed significant improvements in their attitudes towards aging, particularly in aspects related to social loss, physical and psychological changes, and growth. Second, the quality of life in terms of autonomy, pleasure, and self-realization also significantly improved in the experimental group. These findings suggest that reminiscence-based group art therapy can be an effective intervention for enhancing aging attitudes and quality of life among elderly living alone.

남성 독거노인의 죽음 불안과 수용에 관한 웰다잉 집단미술치료 질적 사례연구

In the second half of life, as people get older, they are more frequently exposed to the death of acquaintances, and some of the older adults have very intensive anxiety about death. In particular, the anxiety tends to be severe in older men who are living alone in poor health and in poverty. Accordingly, this study was conducted in the context of examining the specific background of the death anxiety among older men living alone and helping them to accept their death as a natural phenomenon. The participants in this study were four older men who were members of a senior welfare center located in Seoul, and all of them had lived alone for at least 20 years. A group art therapy program based on acceptance and commitment therapy was conducted on them once a week for 10 weeks. The researcher attempted to have interaction verbally with them related to life or death while helping and/or intervening in their work activities in each session, and had in-depth interviews with each of them after the program ended twice. Through within-case and cross-case analyses of the verbal interaction and in-depth interviews conducted in each session, sub-themes and themes corresponding to two categories of death anxiety and acceptance were derived. As a result, 29 sub-themes were derived from the within-case analyses of the death anxiety category, and they were integrated into 5 themes through cross-case comparisons. The five themes were ‘death recognized in childhood’, ‘death to come soon’, ‘despair and fear of death’, ‘sleepless nights due to death anxiety’, and ‘wishing for a painless death’. Meanwhile, for the category of death acceptance, 22 sub-themes were derived from within-case analyses and integrated them into 4 themes through the cross-case comparisons. The four themes were ‘a new life in the face of death’, ‘a peaceful zone in the storm of death’, ‘composure toward death’, and ‘a valuable gift gained from the program’. In addition, older men living alone not only reduced their anxiety about death but also developed an attitude of naturally accepting death as a part of life while participating in the program of this study. Although the findings of this study were derived from a program conducted on a small group, they are significant in terms of their effectiveness in preventing suicide. In other words, it can be said that the well-dying art therapy program would lower the risk of suicide by providing opportunities for communicating about life and death to vulnerable older people who are at high risk of suicide due to illness or poverty.

E049 Including psychosocial approaches in paediatric and adolescent rheumatology: a service evaluation of an online art therapy group intervention for children, young people, and families

Abstract Background/Aims Children and young people with long-term physical conditions may develop mental health problems that have an impact upon their daily lives and families. Rates of anxiety and depression in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis are higher than in peers without this diagnosis. The impact of long-term conditions on children and young people’s mental health and the pressure it puts on family life has been observed and reported in paediatric rheumatology clinics in the UK. Art therapy has long been considered to be a developmentally appropriate way to support children and young people with long-term conditions and it is routinely provided in some NHS services. A service evaluation of manualised online art therapy groups was carried out at the Great North Children’s Hospital to seek further understanding about the accessibility, acceptability, and uptake of this service. Methods A service evaluation was registered and undertaken at the Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Art therapy groups consisted of six online 90min sessions with additional resources provided to parents to encourage conversations at home prior to the young people attending the group. Groups were facilitated by a HCPC registered art psychotherapist and included completion of structured activities/worksheets and art making time. Young people who attended the rheumatology service art therapy groups were asked for feedback about their experiences and a audio-recorded focus group style discussion with the art therapy delivery team was conducted. In addition, children and parents were asked to comment on the acceptability of standardised assessment measures that could be utilised in future outcome studies of psychosocial interventions of this kind. Results Thirteen young people who had accessed the art therapy group were included in the service evaluation which was carried out by members of the therapy team and nursing staff. Young people attending the group reported experiencing personal benefits, including valuing opportunities to speak with other young people who had a long-term condition and engagement and sharing a group experience through art activities. Parents responded positively to having time to reflect using the home-based resources and some observed their children appearing calmer and more able to express themselves. Online and digital access difficulties did create barriers to consistent attendance for some group members. Measures of outcome that were considered acceptable for completion by young people and family members included a validated quality of life assessment. Parents and staff reported underestimating the severity of mental health symptoms (anxiety and depression) indicated in young people’s response to completion of a validated measure. Conclusion Online group art therapy was considered to be accessible and acceptable as routinely provided in a paediatric and adolescent rheumatology service. Future research could be undertaken to formally assess the effectiveness of these types of psychosocial interventions. Disclosure S.S. Hackett: None. S. Jandial: None. L. Craig: None. P. Watts: None.

The effectiveness of group art therapy in a clinically heterogenous sample: Randomized controlled trial

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of group art therapy on different measures of both therapeutic processes (group cohesion and art therapy-related emotional regulation) and therapeutic outcomes (self-esteem, social state self-esteem, and distress) in a clinically heterogenous sample. This is a pretest-posttest control group design with a random allocation of participants, i.e., randomized control trial. The sample consisted of 160 patients (68.75% female) aged 14 to 73 years (M = 43.19, SD = 14.06; nART = 87, nTAU=73). Participants completed self-report measures of distress (depression, anxiety, and stress), self-esteem, social state self-esteem, group cohesion (GCQ), and self-expression and emotion regulation in art therapy (SERATS). The group art therapy lasted for six once-a-week sessions were 90 min long. GCQ and SERATS have unidimensional factor structures. The results showed that art therapy has statistically significant positive effects on group cohesion, self-esteem, and social state self-esteem, and lowering effects on anxiety as compared to active treatment-as-usual. Moreover, self-expression and emotional regulation during art therapy increased in the art therapy group. The measures of mental health outcomes and psychotherapeutic processes are meaningfully related in the art therapy group. In conclusion, this study presents some novel evidence for the benefits of art therapy.

조기발병 치매환자의 사회참여 활성화를 위한 캘리그래피 중심 집단미술치료 사례연구

Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze how group art therapy using calligraphy impacts the social engagement activation of early onset dementia patients.&#x0D; Methods The group therapy was conducted for six early-onset dementia patients who were registered at the S Metropolitan Center for Dementia. The program consisted of eleven sessions and ran once a week from July 31, 2023, to November 6, 2023. The group art therapy program involved education and learning in each session to enable early-onset dementia patients to use the medium themselves and complete artworks. Based on this, participants were guided to complete artistic works. The research data were collected and analyzed using pre- and post-data (CIST and SGDS-K), therapist's session evaluations, observation notes, pre- and post-DAS (The Draw-a-Story) drawing test, and in-depth interviews with 2 participants and partners of 3 participants. The results of the in-depth interviews were cross-analyzed and categorized by two researchers under supervision to derive the findings.&#x0D; Results As a result, firstly, most of the patients who participated in the program maintained or developed their cognitive skills and lowered their depression inventory. Second, participants indicated improvement in their social skills and an increase in awareness and experience related to social engagement. Based on the experience of the art therapy group, participants’ showed positive changes in awareness of social engagement&#x0D; Conclusions This study is meaningful in confirming the impact of group art therapy using calligraphy on alleviating difficulties and promoting social engagement in early-onset dementia patients. Therefore, it is expected to contribute to the activation of social engagement for early-onset dementia patients.&#x0D;