Art Therapy as a Nursing Intervention for Individuals With Schizophrenia

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to determine the effects of group art therapy on clinical symptoms, alexithymia, and quality of life among people with schizophrenia. This single-blinded, randomized controlled trial was performed with 66 individuals with schizophrenia from a community mental health center in western Turkey between September 2021 and February 2022. Following art therapy, the intervention group had lower severity of positive, negative, and general psychopathology symptoms; lower levels of alexithymia; and higher levels of psychological health, social relationships, and total quality of life than the control group; and the difference between groups was statistically significant ( p < 0.05). Results reveal that art therapy combined with pharmacological therapy contributes to good clinical outcomes among individuals with schizophrenia. This evidence can guide psychiatric nurses to use art therapy to reduce psychopathology severity and increase functionality and quality of life among individuals with schizophrenia. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx (xx), xx–xx.]