Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Odell, Dana G

Titel

A pre-post study of art therapy for elementary school-aged children with trauma histories

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations Publishing

Erscheinungsjahr

2011

Link zum Volltext

• ProQuest

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Children with chronic trauma histories have unique therapeutic need that this pilot study endeavors to address through art therapy. Art therapy is not only one of few developmentally appropriate therapeutic modalities for children, but also has special benefit for those who have been exposed to trauma. Recent neurobiological findings suggest a need for non-verbal modalities in order to help victims of traumatic experiences to overcome the fractured sense of memory and self that is characteristic of traumatic experience. This is consistent with concepts from the psychodynamic literature, such as the need to detoxify emotions by temporarily externalizing them. Children were assessed before and after a twelve-week art therapy program on measures of depression, anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. The study found statistically significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and the number of children meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Further exploratory analysis also revealed a statistically significant increase in the level of internalization of locus of control.