Abstract
This study (RCT) investigated the impact of Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC)-based art therapy interventions for older adults with dementia living in a complex care home setting. Over four months, participants underwent 10 art therapy sessions, while an active control group engaged in 10 standard art sessions. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and the Older People’s Quality of Life (OPQOL-Brief) questionnaires. Results indicated that participants exhibited similar visual expression elements, media preferences, and ETC-based intervention entry levels. Notably, the experimental group experienced significant increases in OPQOL-Brief scores, and MMSE-Language scores significantly increased in the experimental group while decreasing in the control group. These findings support previous research, demonstrating that art therapy can enhance cognitive function and quality of life in older adults with dementia. Additionally, the study provides new insights into expressive and stylistic elements, ETC entry-level, and media preferences in art-making for this population.
Presenters
Heesu JeonAssistant Professor and Director of Training, Master of Counselling Psychology Art Therapy, Adler University, British Columbia, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Medical Perspectives on Aging, Health, Wellness
KEYWORDS
Art Therapy/Dementia/Older Adults/ETC/Cognitive Function/Quality of Life
