Art therapy and social function in palliative care patients: a mixed-method pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care Medicine
• Creative Arts Therapies
• Psychosocial Oncology

Background:

• Palliative care aims to improve quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
• Symptom management and psychosocial support are crucial components of palliative care.
• Art therapy offers a non-pharmacological approach to address patient needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess art therapy's impact on palliative symptoms, social availability, and aesthetics in hospitalized patients.
• To explore art therapy's influence on bereaved families.
• To propose a model for art therapy's mechanism of action in palliative care.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-method quasi-experimental study with a before-and-after design.
• Patient-reported outcome scales (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, visual analogue scales) used pre- and post-session.
• Follow-up postal survey administered to bereaved families; correlation and data mining analyses performed.

Main Results:

• Art therapy significantly reduced overall symptom distress by 54.4% (p <0.001).
• Significant decreases observed in social unavailability (-59%) and lack of desire/wishes (-60%).
• Family surveys indicated positive impacts on support, artwork appreciation, and emotional processing during illness and grief.

Conclusions:

• Art therapy demonstrates significant efficacy in improving symptoms and social functioning for palliative care patients.
• The intervention shows promise in supporting bereaved families.
• Findings support the development of a theoretical model for art therapy's effectiveness in palliative settings.