Group Art Therapy and Self-Care for Mothers of Children with Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a group art therapy intervention on psychological well-being of Korean mothers of children with disabilities. This study employed a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test research design with non-random assignment of participants to either the art therapy intervention group (AG) or the control group (CG). The present study quantitatively examined the effectiveness of the group art therapy intervention using four standardized measurements (Parental Distress sub-scale from Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Perceived Stress Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, & The Multidimensional Scale for Social Support) assessing parenting stress, perceived stress, depression, and perceived social support. In addition, the Draw-a-Person-in-the-Rain (the DAPR) assessment with numerical scoring system was used to assess the mothers’ stress.

A total of 44 participants from multiple regions across Korea were included, and mothers in AG (n = 22) participated in 6 sessions of 100 minutes in length. The results of the statistical analysis showed significant differences between the two groups in parenting stress, perceived stress, and depression with those in the AG reporting a greater decrease in parenting stress, perceived stress, and depression than those in the CG. In terms of perceived social support, no significant difference was found between the AG and the CG. The results of the DAPR-Stress scale showed that stress indicators on the post-drawing assessment decreased significantly compared to the pre-drawing assessment after participating in the art therapy intervention. Thus, the art-based projective drawing assessment (the DAPR) supported the quantitative results of the art therapy intervention on decreasing stress. Overall findings support the effectiveness of the group art therapy intervention in enhancing psychological well-being of Korean mothers of children with disabilities.