Use of Expressive Arts to Improve Quality of Life in Individuals with Mental Illness

Author

Lynsey Huyett, Lesley UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-19-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Kelvin Ramirez

Abstract

Within the mental health community, the expressive arts are gaining popularity as a respected form of therapy; however, there is still much to be discovered in regard to its effectiveness with individuals with a mental health diagnosis. Research completed to date includes the exploration of a variety of modalities and its benefits to those with a mental illness, but it lacks an examination of the effect that the expressive arts has on overall quality of life. As a contribution to what will hopefully be an expanding area of interest, this writer designed an expressive arts therapy group facilitated at a mental health day programming facility. The group was facilitated over ten weeks with participants ranging in age from 26 to 68. Results did not indicate a substantial change in quality of life scores; however, the participants’ consistent participation, themes of hope, passing time, and moving forward, and demonstration of trust amongst group members suggested that the expressive arts modalities benefit the quality of life of individuals living with a mental health condition.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Huyett, Lynsey, "Use of Expressive Arts to Improve Quality of Life in Individuals with Mental Illness" (2018). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 56.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/56