The psychopathology of everyday art: a quantitative Study - World ...

6 scales to categorise commonalities in impressionistic, theoretical or experiential papers
which report therapeutic effects or benefits of art for psychiatric patients.
One category for each scale, except benefit, where the most emphatic four benefits were
selected.
1. Origin of study material, descriptive Information:
Opinion - Author's philosophy with no specific support, but might
reference others.
Discussion - Argues two or more sides of an issue.
Experience - Report of a specific personal experience using art in
therapy with psychiatric patients, sometimes illustrated
and called a 'case report', but with no patient information.
Programme - Description or update of an arts therapy hospital
programme.
2. Diagnosis: under these groups from information in the paper:
1 schizophrenia; 2 traumatic stress/sex abuse; 3 substance abuse; 4 psychotic; 5
Alzheimer's/dementia/brain damage; 6 emotional disorder; 7 depression; 8 conduct
disorder; 9 normal; 10 retarded; 11 undifferentiated psychiatric patients; 12 sex
abnormalities/abusers; 13 personality disorder.
3. Theoretical base:
Psychotherapeutic - supportive, interpretive, humanistic, therapeutic.
Psychoanalysis - using psychoanalytic language (may not have been
traditional or valid).
Environmental - using the art environment for educational or functional
support or stimulation.
Social/ using the social group for interaction, providing an
developmental accessible activity, using behaviourial treatment in the group
environment.
Energy theories - suggestions that the patient can be affected by the power
of the unconscious mind whilst engaged in art, and that the
therapist can be a conductor of the power.
Assessment - diagnostic drawings, using art as an initial interview with
the patient.
4. Author's personal explanation of how art promotes therapeutic change
Signposts Patient illustrates their trauma or illness, objectifying it,
allowing access for therapist.
Self healing Art as healing in itself, or the therapist as a conductor for
power from the unconscious.
Group interaction - Observing behaviour of the group or of an individual whilst
patient drawing.
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