Art therapy and mental health

Section: Serie

How to quote

Del Río Diéguez M, Sanz-Aránguez Ávila B. Arteterapia y salud mental. Metas Enferm dic 2019/ene 2020; 22(10):50-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35667/MetasEnf.2019.22.1003081522

Authors

María del Río Diéguez1, Belén Sanz-Aránguez Ávila2

Position

1Doctora por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Máster Universitario en Arteterapia por la UCM. Departamento de Educación Artística, Plástica y Visual. Facultad de Formación del Profesorado. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). Grupo de Investigación Cambio Educativo para la Justicia Social (GICE)-UAM. Madrid2Psiquiatra por la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Máster Universitario en Psicoterapia por la Universidad de Alcalá. Adjunta de Psiquiatría. Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda. Madrid

Contact address

María del Río Diéguez. Facultad de Formación de Profesorado. UAM. C/ Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 3. 28049 Madrid.

Contact email: maria.delrio@uam.es

Abstract

Research on the efficacy of Art Therapy in the mental health setting has been inconclusive. Patients and therapists often coincide in highlighting its usefulness for developing expression, communication, socialization and self-awareness; but in terms of strict research, there is no evidence showing that this is achieved. Taking the diagnosis of schizophrenia as reference, there are studies suggesting an improvement in overall mental health, social performance and the quality of interpersonal relationships; however, other studies have found no significant improvement either in primary variables, such as overall functionality and overall symptomatology, or in other associated variables, such as attendance to the group, social performance, satisfaction with treatment or impact on negative symptomatology. The subsequent reviews consulted suggest that this contradictory results could be due to methodological limitations, and recommend clarifying aspects regarding how, why and for whom is Art Therapy useful, as well as to identify those mechanisms supporting or conveying the intervention.
From now on, this article, the tenth and last in the Art Therapy Series, presents a way of working that has been developing over 20 years in a Psychiatry Day Hospital, as coadjuvant treatment for persons diagnosed with severe mental disease, mostly schizophrenia.

Keywords:

Mental Health; psychiatry; severe mental disease; schizophrenia; Art therapy

Versión en Español

Título:

Arteterapia y salud mental