Art therapy for psychiatric patients is based on the universally-held belief that everyone finds release from tension and a certain amount of self-respect when they create something---when they use a combination of imagination and technical skills to produce a tangible product. Guidelines about who benefits from this type of therapy are very vague, however, the following comments taken from peer-reviewed journals and professional websites should create some understanding about assessing psychiatric patients for art therapy.
Instructions
1. Understand the value of art therapy for people who are institutionalized: A British mental health nurses' study in a mental health institution found the staff as well as the patients valued the time they spent in creative endeavors, nurturing ideas in a creative, expressive way, and promoting problem solving and working together. They found that art therapy increased staff retention, reduced incidents of damage to property, and even reduced the need for medication.
2. Take care when referring schizophrenics for of art therapy: a search of "Cochrane's Systematic Review" (a paid service) allowed two researchers to look for examples of art therapy and its benefit for schizophrenics. The researchers found that there was simply not enough information to make this determination, and called for more studies.
3. Consider art therapy as a way to improve the lives of mentally ill children: Because children who have been abused or neglected often find it hard to talk about their fears, mental health professionals often ask them to draw or paint. The art is then used as gateway for conversation. It is also believed that the creative process gives children confidence and reassurance, and teaches them skills that will remain with them.
4. Choose art therapy for people who are anxious or depressed: There's no question that the process of creating art has been accepted as a healing tool for a long time. It provides growth and skill development as well as directing the focus outside of oneself, and allows for some spirtual exploration.
Tags: mental health, found that, psychiatric patients, therapy people