Empirical findings of ART Therapy

Ovaj rad prikazuje povijesni razvoj, standarde profesije i praktične aspekte art terapije te empirijske nalaze koji govore o učinkovitosti i ishodima art terapije u radu s osobama s traumama, psihijatrijskim dijagnozama, medicinskim bolestima, poremećajima iz autističnog spektra, školskoj populaciji i starijim osobama. Pregledom literature pronašli smo istraživanja koja ukazuju na koristnost art terapije u tretmanu PTSP-a; art terapijskih programa za veterane; u radu sa seksualno zlostavljanom populacijom; kao suportivne terapije u tretmanu shizofrenije te psiholoških simptoma raka i HIVa/AIDS-a. Nadalje smo pronašli i istraživanja koja ukazuju na korisnost art terapije u radu s osobama s poremećajima iz autističnog spektra; art terapijskih programa u radu s djecom i mladima s poteškoćama u učenju i starijim osobama s Alzheimerovom bolešću. Primjećujemo kako je broj istraživanja art terapije malen i kako je potrebno proširiti bazu nalaza art terapije temeljenu na eksperimentalnoj metodologiji i relevantnim uzorcima. Zaključujemo kako je za art terapiju potrebno da empirijski istraži procese koji joj leže u osnovi terapijskog procesa, da unificira metodologiju i korištene intervencije u istraživanju te da se usporedi s ostalim umjetničkim terapijama (muzikoterapija, dramska terapija i terapija pokretom).This thesis shows the historical development, professional standards and practical aspects of art therapy and empirical findings about efficacy and outcomes of art therapy in practice with persons with trauma, psychiatric diagnoses, medical illnesses, autistic spectrum disorders, and the school and elderly populations. Reviewing the literature we found researches that indicate the usefulness of art therapy in the treatment of persons with PTSD; art therapy programs for veterans; in practice with sexually abused population; as supportive therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia and psychological symptoms of cancer and HIV/AIDS. Further we found researches that indicate the usefulness of art therapy in practice with persons with autistic spectrum disorders; art therapy programs for children and youth with learning difficulties and the elderly with Alzheimer disease. We notice the small number of research in art theray and the need to widen the evidence base art therapy based on experimental methodology and relevant samples. We conclude that for art therapy there is a need for empirical exploration of the processes at its therapeutic base, unification of methodology and utilized interventions, and comparison with other arts therapies (musicotherapy, dramatherapy and movement tehrapy)