Can Collage-Based Art Therapy be a Bridge to Engage Patients Experiencing Social Isolation with a Diagnosis of a Psychotic Disorder?

Author

Nora WolffFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-20-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MCM - MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Raquel Stephenson

Abstract

Social isolation is not only a common part of the experience of people with psychotic disorders but also often acts as a barrier to their treatment and recovery. Causes of this isolation seem to include not only symptoms of the psychotic illnesses themselves but also the social stigma related to psychotic illnesses, as well as feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and low self-esteem related to common comorbid disorders. Engaging with patients in acute inpatient units with short lengths of stay can be extremely difficult. This paper reviews the literature and describes a collage-based art intervention with six particularly isolative patients in an acute inpatient unit, with emphasis on a supportive one-to-one approach. The patient’s levels of activity were observed before and after the directive. The positive experience of the actual intervention and common themes are described, as well as an encouraging trend towards increased engagement afterward.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Wolff, Nora, "Can Collage-Based Art Therapy be a Bridge to Engage Patients Experiencing Social Isolation with a Diagnosis of a Psychotic Disorder?" (2023). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 688.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/688