Art therapy with people diagnosed with psychosis: therapists’ experiences of their work and the journey to their current practice
Journal article
Holttum, S., Wright, T. and Wood, C. 2021. Art therapy with people diagnosed with psychosis: therapists’ experiences of their work and the journey to their current practice. International Journal of Art Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2021.1893370
| Authors | Holttum, S., Wright, T. and Wood, C. |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Background: There was insufficient understanding of how art therapists experience their work with people with psychosis-related diagnoses, and of their practice development. Methods: Within a grounded theory framework (Corbin & Strauss, 2015; Strauss & Corbin, 1990), interviews and a focus group carried out in the years 2015 to 2017 elicited the experiences of 18 UK-based art therapists, working in a range of National Health Service (NHS) contexts, concerning art therapy in relation to psychosis and how they developed their current practice. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed to build theory. Results: The grounded theory proposes how practice and its development intertwine. Training confers resilience but therapists learn greatly from their clients, enhancing their ability for alliance-building. Therapists’ early struggles also spur further training. Skills for trauma are helpful. Clients may become stuck or disengage, and/or develop through ongoing engagement with art and the art therapist, who supports their journey. The service and wider societal contexts impact the art therapist’s work through their effect on clients and/or the art therapist’s ability to attune to clients. Conclusions: The findings concur with previous research regarding common therapeutic factors, especially the alliance, and on other therapists’ practice development. |
| Keywords | Art therapy; Psychosis; Practice development |
| Year | 2021 |
| Journal | International Journal of Art Therapy |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| ISSN | 1745-4832 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2021.1893370 |
| Official URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2021.1893370 |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 24 Mar 2021 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Deposited | 25 Feb 2021 |
| Accepted | 16 Feb 2021 |
| Accepted author manuscript | File Access Level Restricted |
| Output status | Published |
| References | Adamson, E. (1984). Art as Healing. London: Coventure. Attard, A. Larkin, M. (2016). Art Therapy for people with psychosis: a narrative review of the literature. The Lancet, 3, 1067-1078. http://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30146-8 Budd, R., & Hughes, I. (2009). The dodo bird verdict - controversial, inevitable and important: a commentary on 30 years of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 16, 510-522. http://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.648 Callahan, J.L., Almstrom, C.M., Swift, J.K., Borja, S.E., & Heath, C.J. (2009). Exploring the contribution of supervisors to intervention outcomes. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 3, 72-77, http://doi.org/10.1037/a0014294 Corbin & Strauss (2015). Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (4th Ed.). London: Sage Crawford, M. J., Killaspy, H., Barnes, T. R., Barrett, F., Byford, S., Clayton, K., . . .Waller, D. (2012). Group art therapy as an adjunctive treatment for people with schizophrenia: Multicentre pragmatic randomised trial. BMJ, 344, e846. doi:10.1136/bmj.e846 Czamanski-Cohen, J., & Weihs, K.L. (2016). The bodymind model: A platform for studying the mechanisms of change produced by art therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 51, 63-71. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2016.08.006 Dobson, K.S. (2013). The science of CBT: towards a metacognitive model of change? Behavior Therapy, 44, 224–227. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2009.08.003 Feen-Calligan, H.R. (2011). Constructing professional identity in art therapy through service-learning and practica. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 22, 122-131, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2005.10129490 Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Am J Prev Med. 1998, 14(4), 245-258. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8 Franks, M. & Whitaker, R. (2007). The image, mentalization and group art psychotherapy. International Journal of Art Therapy, 12, 3-16. Gabel and Robb (2017) (Re)considering psychological constructs: A thematic synthesis defining five therapeutic factors in group art therapy. The arts in psychotherapy, 55, 126-135. doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.05.05 Green, B.L., Wehling, C., & Talsky, G.J. (1987). Group art therapy as an adjunct to treatment for chronic outpatients. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 38, 988-991. [No doi] Greenwood, H., & Layton, G. (1987). An out-patient art therapy group. Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists. Summer issue: 12-19. Health and Care Professions Council. (2017). Your duties as an education povider: standards of education and training guidance. Available at: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/globalassets/resources/guidance/standards-of... Hernan, M. A., & Hernandez-Diaz, S. (2012). Beyond the intention-to-treat in comparative effectiveness research. Clinical Trials, 9, 48-55. doi: 10.1177/1740774511420743 Holttum,S., Huet,V., & Wright, T. (2017). Reaching a UK consensus on art therapy for people with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder using the Delphi method. International Journal of Art Therapy, 22, 33-44. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2016.1257647 Ilardi, B.C., Leone, D., Kasser, T., & Ryan, R.M. (1993). Employee and supervisor ratings of motivation: Main effects and discrepancies associated with job satisfaction and adjustment in a factory setting. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 1789-1905, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1993.tb01066.x Joseph, M., & Bance, L. O. (2019). A pilot study of compassion-focused visual art therapy for sexually abused children and the potential role of self-compassion in reducing trauma-related shame. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 10, 368-372. Killick, K. (1996). Unintegration and containment in acute psychosis. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 13, 232-242. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0118.1996.tb00879.x Killick, K., & Schaverien, J. (1997). Art, psychotherapy and psychosis. London: Routledge Lyddiatt, E.M. (1972). Spontaneous painting and modelling - a practical approach in therapy. New York: St Martin’s Press. Lynch, S., Holttum, S., & Huet, V. (2018). The experience of art therapy for individuals following a first diagnosis of a psychotic disorder: a grounded theory study. International Journal of Art Therapy, 24, 1-11: http://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.1475498 Lysaker, P.H., & Lysaker, J.T. (2010). Schizophrenia and alterations in self-experience: a comparison of 6 perspectives. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 36, 331-340, http://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbn077 Maclagan, D. (2005). Re-imagining art therapy. Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists, 10, 23-30. Marmot, M. (2020). Health equity in England: The Marmot review 10 years on. BMJ, 368:m693 http://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m693 Mays, N., & Pope, C. (2000). Assessing quality in qualitative research. BMJ, 320, 50-52. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7226.50 Mccaffrey, G., & Mcconnell, S. (2015). Compassion: A critical review of peer-reviewed nursing literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24, 3006–3015. http://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.12924 Moon, C.H. (2007). Studio art therapy. London: Jessica Kingsley. Moon, C.H. (2010). Materials and media in art therapy: critical understanding of diverse artistic vocabularies. New York and London: Routledge. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2014). Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults: prevention and management. London: Author. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG178 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2017). Appendix A: summary of evidence from surveillance. 4-year surveillance (2017). Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg178/evidence/appendix-a-summary-o... Naumburg, M. (1950). Schizophrenic art: its meaning in psychotherapy. Grune and Stratton Nel, P.W., Pezzolesi, C., & Stott, D.J. (2012). How did we learn best? A retrospective survey of clinical psychology training in the United Kingdom. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68, 1058-1073, Http://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21882 Patterson, S., Borschmann, R., & Waller, D.E. (2013). Considering referral to art therapy: responses to referral and experiences of participants in a randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Art Therapy, 18, 2-9. http://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2012.738425 Patterson, S., Crawford, M. J., Ainsworth, E., & Waller, D. (2011). Art therapy for people diagnosed with schizophrenia: Therapists’ views about what changes, how and for whom. International Journal of Art Therapy, 16, 70-80. http://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2011.604038 Read, J., Fosse, R., Moskowitz, A., Perry, B. (2014). The traumagenic neurodevelopmental model of psychosis revisited. Neuropsychiatry, 4(1), 65-79. http://doi.org/10.2217/npy.13.89 Richardson, P., Jones, K., Evans, C., Stevens, P., & Rowe, A. (2007). Exploratory RCT of art therapy as an adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia. Journal of Mental Health, 16, 483–491. http://doi.org/10.1080/09638230701483111 Robson, C. (2002). Real world research (2nd Ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Romme, M. (2009a). Psychotherapy with hearing voices. In Marius Romme, Sandra Escher, Jacqui Dillon, Dirk Corstens, & Mervyn Morris. Living with voices: 50 stories of recovery (ch 8, pp. 86-94). Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books Romme, M. (2009b). What causes hearing voices? In Marius Rønnestad M.H., and Skovholt (2003). The journey of the counsellor and therapist: research findings and perspectives on professional development. Journal of Career Development, 30(1), 5-44. Ryan R.M., & Deci, E.L. (2002). An overview of self-determination theory. In Edward L. Deci & Richard M. Ryan, Handbook of self-determination research (ch 1, pp 3-36). Rochester: University of Rochester Press Schizophrenia Commission. (2012). The abandoned illness. London: Rethink Mental Illness. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from https://www.rethink.org/media/514093/TSC_main_report_14_nov.pdf Schizophrenia Commission. (2017). Progress report: Five Years on. London: Rethink Mental Illness. Retrieved 9th October 2019 from: https://www.rethink.org/media/2586/the-schizophreniacommission-progr... Seikkula, J., Alakare, B., & Aaltonen, J. (2011). The comprehensive Open-Dialogue approach in Western Lapland: II. Long-term stability of acute psychosis outcomes in advanced community care. Psychosis, 3, 192-204. http://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2011.595819 Sinclair, S., Norris, J. M., McConnell, S. J., Chochinov, H. M., Hack, T. F., Hagen, N. A., … Bouchal, S. R. (2016). Compassion: a scoping review of the healthcare literature. 15, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-016-0080-0 Sivec, H.J. & Montesano, V.L. (2012). Cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis in clinical practice. Psychotherapy, 49, 258-270, http://doi.org/10.1037/a0028256 Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: grounded theory procedures and techniques. London: Sage Sweeney, A., Clement, S., Filson, B., & Kennedy, A. (2016). Trauma-informed mental healthcare in the UK: what is it and how can we further its development? Mental Health Review Journal, 21, 174 – 192, http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MHRJ-01-2015-0006 Verfaille, M. (2011). Mentalizing in arts therapies. London: Karnac. Wadeson, H., & Carpenter, W.T. (1976). A comparative study of art expression of schizophrenic, unipolar depressive, and bipolar manic-depressive patients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 162, 334–344 Watkins, C.E. (2013). The contemporary practice of effective psychoanalytic supervision. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30, 300-328, http://doi.org/10.1037/a0030896 Wood, C. (1997). The history of art therapy and psychosis, 1938-1995. in K. Killick and J. Schaverien (Eds.). Art, psychotherapy and psychosis (ch 8, pp. 144-175). London & New York: Routledge Wood, C. (2011). The evolution of art therapy in relation to psychosis and poverty. In A. Gilroy (ed.). Art therapy research in practice (pp. 211-229). Oxford, Berlin: Peter Lang Wood, L., Burke, E. & Morrison, A. (2015). Individual cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp): a systematic review of qualitative literature. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 43, pp. 285-97, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465813000970 Wright, T., & Holttum, S., (2020). BAAT guidelines on art therapy for people with a psychosis-related diagnosis. London: British Association of Art Therapists. Available at: https://www.baat.org/Assets/Docs/General/BAAT%20Guidelines%20AT%20Ps... |
| Additional information | The paper reports on the findings from in-depth interviews carried out with UK art therapists experienced in working with people who have been given a psychosis-related diagnosis. This work was one of several streams that fed into the development of the BAAT Guidelines on Art Therapy for People with a Psychosis-Related Diagnosis (Wright & Holttum, 2020). |
https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/8x286/art-therapy-with-people-diagnosed-with-psychosis-therapists-experiences-of-their-work-and-the-journey-to-their-current-practice
559
total views1
total downloads5
views this month0
downloads this month