Can art-therapy be considered as the most effective method to deal with depression of people?

Can art-therapy be considered as the most effective method to deal with depression of people?

Global Perspectives and Project Work

Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Uralsk

Teacher: Sergaliyeva A. Y.

Student: Aizhan Umerbayeva

Grade: 12H

Word count: 3090

 

Table of content

INTRODUCTION.. 3

AIMS. 5

CONTEXT. 6

METHOD.. 9

RESULTS. 11

CONCLUSION.. 13

EVALUATION.. 15

FURTHER RESEARCH.. 16

REFERENCE.. 17

APPENDIX 1. 19

APPENDIX 2. 21

 

 

INTRODUCTION

In everyday life it is easy to meet people who are very aggressive, negative and cannot find a compromise with others, and this usually lead into conflicts. The World Health Organization did some counts and identified that number of such people constitutes approximately 350 million. (World Health Organization, October 2012). For the fast coping with this disease people try to treat it by sound therapy, pottery and others. Maybe not all ways were really effective and helpful thus art-therapy became popular in twentieth century yet. Art therapy is a type of therapy that uses art for therapeutic purposes. This is healing by any art.

Nowadays the number of sufferers is relatively large. Furthermore the second name of depression is “plague of twenty first century”. (Telegina, June 2012). So I think the project needs to be done and it has certain causes to that. For instance that depression and mental disorders inhibit the performance of a person regardless of this school student or employee in the office. Such people want to be isolating from the surrounding society, to be constant depressed, not eating and closed in your own apartment or a room, thereby holding negative thoughts inside from others. The end of these behaviors is the same and suicide is the most frequent facing.

These are several questions I need to find answers, because I am really interested in this topic and I want to help people to escape from that issue. Likewise, I once again repeat that in this century this kind of diseases is becoming global and it is covering larger and larger scale. As faster we will prove and understand that art-therapy is the best method to deal with depression as sooner we will escape with that problem around the world. It motivates me much.

I hope the result of my study will help many sufferers out of this state as quickly as possible and much easier. What if art-therapy is the best way to heal sadness, anxiousness, emptiness, hopelessness? Then art-therapy would be one of the solutions.

AIMS

The main goals of my project are to investigate the problem of depression and to prove that art-therapy is the most effective way to deal with. This general research question can be broken up into the following more specific questions:

Is art-therapy applicable to deal with depression?

What are the strengths of the art therapy in the treatment of depression?

Whether such cases where art therapy was effective and non-effective?

It is predicted that the answer to the research question will be as follows: The process of art-therapy is really the best, because it contributes to the rapid refresh the mind of the patients, improves their physical and mental state in short terms, and besides, this process does not require high cost, so it is profitable also.

CONTEXT

Art therapy as a method of treatment appeared not so long ago, but in that short time it has managed to find its own history. Many people noticed the effectiveness of art therapy not only by observing other people, but also on their own experience. Ben Schwartz is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He drew his first picture when he was 15 years only. This picture showed a man in the box. Later, the author explained that in this period of time he had experienced negative emotions, some teenage sadness and he felt hopeless. Spending at this picture about two weeks, he felt himself better and began to look at the world with other view. He believes that it was the first experiment and training with art-therapy at his life and he understood that it leads the positive effects. (Ben Schwartz, 2004)

After few years in a one of the Italian universities a group of investigators led by professor and neurologist witnessed that observations of the beautiful paintings is able to reduce pain. They decided to conduct an experiment among both genders. During some time they had to view the famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. As a result, they have again come to the conclusion that when people looked at the beautiful pictures, they felt a pain in three times less than when looking at the terrible pictures. Scientists hope that the new findings will convince the hospitals care more about decorating rooms where locating sick people. (“University World News”, 2008)

Almost at the same time in Russia the head of the Russian Youth Studio Museum of Photography divided all his students into pairs and offered them tasks to do. All of children actively performed the tasks, but one of them did nothing. This supervisor asked her to pose in pictures and she agreed .Very quickly from the stationary girl she became very active model, and then she picked up the camera and started making photography by her. The head made conclusions, that art therapy contributes to the development of communicative abilities, as well as gives an opportunity to reveal. ("Argumenty I facty", 2014)

Therewith according to a one science article patients need art-therapy. Such treatment helps them to express their negative emotions. There are some new specific steps to suffer for a short time to be able to get rid from this problem, and one of these steps is to copy the image of the patient. Due to that he then will cease to feel lonely. On the contrary he will feel that all around him there are the same people as he is and understand that not all as bad as he thinks. Thus such type of art the art-therapists have begun to identify as a new style that belongs to mentally ill people. (Tomashoff, 2006)

However, there are many situations when people do not believe in the effectiveness of this type of treatment for depression, but a good example to refute this view will be the United States of America. Just there fifty years ago the idea was first published about use of art therapy and now it has become the number one type of treatment. Art therapy in this country is not a substitute for other types of treatment. Art-therapy procedures offer conferencing services healer not only for an individual but also for honeymooners, families and children. According to the author of this process we can observe not only in private organizations that provide the service but in many hospitals and outpatient centers. (Chris Iliades, 2012)

A great contribution to the development of art therapy introduced Mark Burno. He offered to share all the pictures into two groups: creative and conventional. According to him creative photographs of each item will transmit a flawless mood. If the upset man for any time views positive photos, then he already has the ability to get out of this state. Watching the photos where you are joyful and happy will give you a chance “to live” that time again and it will help to feel energy of property, life and beauty. (Habarova T.U, 2015)

However, there are people who write on their own sites, that the most appropriate form of treatment that may eliminate depression and much more effective to restore the health of the immune system is aromatherapy. (Lavrenova G, 2009)

Thus it turns out none of the experiment conducted in the field of art therapy does not deny its significance, importance. Contrariwise almost all cases help to heal, regardless of the exact steps: you can draw and you can watch the drawing, you can take pictures and you can just watch them. In any case, it is effective and has the affirmative result.

METHOD

Nowadays there are so many different methods data collection in the world. For instance researchers might conduct a survey, make observations, it is possible to take an interview with respondents. In my research I choose "interview". I believe that this method is best suited to my research since thanks to it I will be able to get complete and specific information. This information will not show the general opinion among the population, but it has quality.

Also interview is the most common and important form of data collection. Approximately 90% of investigators choose this method. (Kislyak, 2004) It will help to know the opinion of experts in the field, will help to assess the challenges and opportunities of these interviews, I can reveal some tips in preventing depression.

My theme involves the issue about human psychology and art, and then my respondents are two teachers of art and one psychologist. I believe that they are closest to my theme; they know a great deal in this area, they will be able to give me enough information to make an analysis and identify research results. Nevertheless they work with those students who feel sore about constant bad mood and they have to observe their behavior at the same time. I assume they are experts in this research area.

There are a lot of destinations I can ask people and investigate the problem, but to me the most appropriate place is Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan region. It’s my hometown and I exactly know that such studies were not conducted there; this area has never been studied. Choosing the further geographic location of research, I settled on the choice of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School. Students of this school often pass different kinds of exams and perhaps they increasingly faced with depression. Therefore, I will interrogate the local school staff in NIS Uralsk.

RESULTS

As mentioned before, the interviewed respondents were three employees of Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Uralsk. They responded to 9 structured questions offered by me and thus were made some results. For example, first, second and third questions - an introduction to the subject, the other four - the main and the last two questions - the conclusion and generally require a reply in their own opinion.

In general, the first three questions were designed to find out whether there are teachers and school psychologists who were in situations when students were not in the mood, did not try to engage in discussions, they were not active during the lessons. As a result, it turned out that each of the three respondents met with this phenomenon face to face. According to them the reason for this was that every quarter students become a bit depressed cause of constant summative assessment. Also the second reason is misunderstanding between students. It proves that such problem like a depression, suffering from the bad mood take place in NIS.

The following four questions give a chance to understand weather tutors know about art-therapy, do they remember the history of art-therapy or not and to ask some benefits and drawbacks of it. Each of the interviewed person knew about art- therapy and it’s positive properties to deal with depression that is why they were able to give to students some advices how to become psychologically healthy. Two from three respondents were aware of history and all of them gave some pros and cons. For instance, the first two answered like these: “it only works if the student recognizes the problem with psyche or not and whether he has a desire to struggle with that or not” and “frustrated man can simply say, "I can not draw and do not want.". Make him draw forcibly either not give you any results” and the last speaker told the two great stories associated with how art therapy is not helping a person. Although there are some negative sides they identified positive sides too. For example, they unanimously answered that it helps in different ways starting from simple drawing and ending with special lessons. It means that art- therapy helps sufferers significantly, but in some cases it is inactive. They came to the conclusion and expressed that it really helpful method anyway.

The last two questions are considered to be more direct and using them gives the opportunity to know the exact point of view of the interviewee. In addition, they were able to give some advice on how to handle you with a constant bad mood. In addition, each of the surveyed experts has given their own advice on how quickly and efficiently can cope with depression: “Art is very can with dealing with frustrations or letting anger and other emotions out through some time artistic endeavor. Whether it is painting sculpture or drawing”, “In general, I advise to all the students of NIS share constantly with thoughts: with friends, teacher, supervisor, or with me - a psychologist. And if you do not want to talk, then "tell" is a piece of paper”, “I also recommend walking for changing the surrounding area, go to the offices of psychologists and pottery and art”. The outcome of the responses signifies that the common choice to deal with depression and it’s subspecies is a simple drawing. Even if you are alone you are capable to stop it partially by own self. According to the specialists to do this, you just need to realize that this is your problem, take a sheet of paper and draw just about what you're thinking.

CONCLUSION

Thanks to the research, it became clear how art-therapy is important and necessary for the residents of West Kazakhstan region, namely for pupils of NIS Uralsk and that is why all purpose-questions became answered.

It was necessary to know do people and specialists use art-therapy as a kind of medicine to deal with depression and according to the words of a local art teacher, all of students need to draw, cause it will allow them to relax after a hard working school day. The foreign teachers of the same subject and psychologists were with absolutely the same notions but they said it differently (See appendix 2). It goes without saying that they use various methods of relaxation, but the most popular among them is art-therapy.

Also identifying strong sides of it was crucial. Over the history it has been used more than once: reducing the level of frustration of people who visited the gallery; releasing the negative emotions of those who painted himself in a short time; making people more sociable. For example, a girl from Russia helped to find new abilities, be more confident; for an actor from America out of depression without knowing it. (See in the context- Ben Schwartz, 2004). And relying on it answered questions of people; it became known that art exercise increases mood, like of a girl who was doing repairs in her own room. (See Appendix 2)

The second part of this question from aims was about negative sides of it. Although it characterized as positive effect it has weaknesses too. There are some cases when it becomes an inappropriate. In foreign countries it had not happened before, but it was in Kazakhstan. This was not undesirable only, but even harmful. For example, in case when picture somehow influenced on the state of men, constantly sleeping beside it. (See Appendix 2)

Having summarizing all, the past history and the present position of art-therapy in human life, there is a good possibility to say confidently that despite on the variety of situations related to the inability to use art-therapy, this method is the alternative. Firstly, it works on people of all ages, from young to old one. Secondly, it does not require extra costs: entrance into the most ordinary art-galleries is not expensive, piece of paper and a pencil too; a visit to the school psychologist does not require any cost. Third, it entertains it’s variety of species, from modeling clay characters to drawing by sand or oil.

EVALUATION

During the entire project it was difficult to process information and make the results. The biggest challenge was to find out information on the Internet or it was not enough, cause there were no exact events to prove or in contrary to refute. It would be better if there would be the statistics on how many people are cured by this method, how many people were not able to recover. There was no information about the use of art therapy in Kazakhstan, there were no experiments done by it in Kazakhstan, refute or in the contrary support my findings.

The second reason was a time limitation. If there was more time, then I would be capable to find people in Uralsk, who directly conduct classes of Art Therapy, to make analyses more qualitative and precisely.

The third and last problem is frivolous attitude to the project by the respondents. For me was the complexity of the catch the last speaker at the time when he was free. That is why I have done it in a little earlier than deadline. Moreover, they have tried to answer as quickly as possible and to continue to do a work.

To prevent partially these issues were necessary to conduct research in those countries, which for there are statistics; increasing the breaching of scientific work would also be assisting basis; as well as the need to make respondents interested in the problem.

FURTHER RESEARCH

For example, only Kazakhstan has been studied, but there are many other countries that remain on the sidelines. It would be interesting to find out there the people who knows a lot about art therapy, and about the whole treatment system, who is able to provide with a range of data, and most importantly, that this information would be really helpful for this research. Of course, their advice would be valuable for the students of NIS, and perhaps because of them, they would be capable in the future to bypass depression.

As the most worrying questions stayed these are: In what country art therapy is used more than in others? To find out whether this is due to the increasing incidence of entry into a depression. Can frightening picture drive a man mad?  And conversely: Does the process of drawing and observation of human glorious paintings back to its former state? To know the exact answer, and if it confirmed to take action. Maybe this project will be continued and even these inquiries will be responded accordingly.

REFERENCE

Damu Research Group, (2008), Kolichestvennye issledovaniya. Retrieved from http://www.drg.kz/rus/isled/quantres

Dobie, M (2008) Italy: Beautiful art eases pain (University World News: The global window on higher education, Italy) Retrieved from http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20081002145858911

Iliades, Ch. (2012). The healing power of creative therapy for depression (Everyday Solutions are created by Everyday Health on behalf of the partners, Limited liability Company, United States) Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/major-depression/creative-therapies/

Iskusstvo lechit: Chto takoe art-terapiya? (2014, April 22). Argumenty I facty

Retrieved from http://www.aif-nn.ru/health/details/1159916

Kislyak, M.(2004), Metody sbora informacii I instrumenty analiza, Moscow, Russia. Retrieved from http://www.marketing.spb.ru/lib-research/methods/collect_and_analysis.htm

Kogito centr (2006) Art -terapiya - novye gorizonty (Information series №86) Moscow, Russia. Retrieved from http://mart-myart.ru/files/kopytin_novye_gorizonty.pdf

Lavrenova G., (2009), Aromaterapiya- drevniy I sovremennyi tip lecheniya,Russia. Retrieved from http://library.aromazona.ru/lavrenova/page/1.html

Medicina I sovety: Kak spravit’sya s depressiey? Poleznye sovety po preodoleniyu “chernoi polosy” v zhizni (2015, March 16) Komsomol’skaya Pravda.

Retrieved from http://www.kp.ru/guide/kak-vyiti-iz-depressii.html

OOO “Izdatel’stvo Molodoi Uchenyi” (2015) Primenenie art-terapii v lechenii depressivnyh I zavisimyh pacientov (Information series No. 4). Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. Retrieved from http://www.moluch.ru/pdf/moluch_84_ch1.pdf

Schwarcz, B. (2004-2015). Art-therapy for depression: The journey from darkness to light (Psychotherapist’s and Coach’s thesis, Costa Brava, Spain) Retrieved from http://www.alternativedepressiontherapy.com/art-therapy-for-depression.html

APPENDIX 1

А слышали ли вы когда-нибудь о таком методе, как арт-терапия, которая является одним из методов лечения подобных психических расстройств? Может ли искусство помочь им в этом? Знаете ли вы такие события в истории искусства, когда оно действительно помогло человеку/людям? В чем его сильные стороны?

APPENDIX 2

SPEAKER1

I have dealt with unruly students before. They manifest their behaviors in many different forms, from irritability, to anger, to an uncaring attitude. Of course they struggled with their studies. Most of the time they have had a distant feeling and were not engaged in the lesson. Depression is hard to prevent however if I notice a student suffering with it, I recommend that to student to a counselor which provided them with advices what to do and where including art, music and others types of therapy. Art is very can with dealing with frustrations or letting anger and other emotions out through some time artistic endeavor. Whether it be painting sculpture, or drawing. At my previous school in the United States I helped run an art therapy class. It helped many students deal with their emotional problems in a positive way .I think it only works if the student recognizes the problem with psyche or not and whether he has a desire to struggle with that or not. It depends on the sort of issue. It does help those with anger issues have a positive outlet for their aggression. It can be effective but sometimes it does take a long time to for it to be successful. We typically did art therapy twice a week at school for those who needed it.

SPEAKER2

Бывают такие случаи, когда ученики нашей школы приходят на уроки расстроенными по разным причинам. Иногда, из-за того, что получили плохую оценку по тому или иному предмету, иногда из-за того, что устали сдавать экзамены (суммативные работы), а иногда из-за того, что они поссорились с друзьями. Обычно в таком состоянии они ведут себя по-разному. Например, кто-то пытается спрятаться от окружающих, не идут на контакт даже с учениками и учителями, не хотят выполнять работу. Если вот я предлагаю им выполнить им задание, то они в основном отказываются, говорят, что сделают это на следующий урок. Другие наоборот всеми видами движения и речи пытаются показать, что они не в настроении: уронят принадлежности, швырнут мел и так далее. И вот когда дети приходят ко мне на тренинги, я стараюсь их всех спросить, что случилось, что не так, что повлияло на тебя, на твое настроение. Дети делятся своими мыслями, и поэтому я часто применяю такой метод. Далее в ходе игр, они частично отвлекаются, забывают про проблемы, но это только временно. Я думаю, что чтобы не входить в депрессию или чтобы из нее выйти нужно заниматься любимым делом: если ты любишь танцевать, то танцуй, можно рисовать, можно петь и так далее. Нужно как-то переключаться от одного рода деятельности на другой, отвлекаться. И да, я слышала очень многое про арт-терапию и точно знаю, что именно благодаря этому процессу дети имеют возможность перенести все свои мысли на бумагу и если они негативные, то там их и оставить. К тому же, благодаря таким рисункам эксперты могут расшифровать состояние человека, то, о чем он думает и страдает, чем «заполнена» его голова. Я не имею огромного опыта в этой сфере, но когда дети обращаются ко мне за помощью, то я говорю им нарисовать рисунок и добавляю то, что благодаря этому мы сможем «увидеть» твой страх. Однако, иногда арт-терапия бесполезна. Например, расстроенный человек может просто сказать «я не умею рисовать и не хочу». Заставить его насильно нарисовать, что-либо не даст вам никакого результата. Да, такие случаи бывают. Но в основном она помогает и, по моему мнению, является одним из лучших методов в борьбе с депрессией. А вообще, всем ученикам НИШ я советую постоянно делиться с кем-то мыслями: с друзьями, учителем, куратором или со мной - психологом. А если не хочется разговаривать, то «расскажите» это листу бумаги.

SPEAKER3

Бывает такое, что дети приходят расстроенными. Они еще не совсем большие, поэтому даже «четверка» или полученная «тройка» непосредственно влияет на их настроение. К тому же, оно очень изменчиво. Может быть сейчас он счастлив, но через минуту он может чуть ли не заплакать. Но на наших уроках – уроках искусства во время работы они забывают об этих проблемах, которые заставили их грустить. Сначала им вроде не хочется работать, они не хотят быть вовлеченными в работу, но потом, мы включаем им спокойную музыку, чтобы создать им максимально комфортные условия для произведения картины. За 80 минут они успевают справиться с целью, поставленной на данный урок, успеваю послушать хорошую и в основном классическую музыку, а самое главное они оставляют все плохие мысли именно в этом кабинете, снимают весь стресс. В нашем кабинете искусства стоят различные картины, а так же есть песок для рисования. Часто приходят ученики и начинают на автомате работать с ним, тем самым даже не замечая, что они становятся более расслабленными, позитивными и открытыми. Еще я рекомендую гулять, менять обстановку, ходить к психологам и в кабинеты гончарного дела и искусства. До этого я не занималась лечением арт-терапией, потому что это нужно иметь специальные способности, нужно иметь правильный подход к ребенку, но я думаю, что над своим ребенком я могу работать. Например, недавно я предложила сделать ремонт в своей комнате самой. Она была рада. Но знаете, у такого способа лечения есть и отрицательные стороны. Например, я помню историю, что в арт. - галерее висела картина, на которой Иван Грозный убивает своего сына. Эту галерею решил посетить один душевно больной человек, а после того, как он увидел эту картину, он вылил на нее кислоту. Эта картина произвела на него отрицательные эмоции. Эму было и так плохо, а стало хуже. Еще до сих пор помню историю о том, как один обычный человек купил картину и повесил над своей кроватью. Через некоторое время он заболевает и долго не может вылечиться. Позже кто-то со стороны предложил ему выбросить эту картину. Все были в недомогании: Как это картина может повлиять на его физическое состояние? Оказывается, может, ведь после того, как картина оказывается в мусорном баке, герой смог вылечиться. Значит, что картина имела какое-то влияние на ее владельца.  По-моему, чтобы предотвратить депрессию нужно посещать арт. - галереи, ведь не всегда там плохие и отрицательные картины, можно рисовать самому.

Can art-therapy be considered as the most effective method to deal with depression of people?

Global Perspectives and Project Work

Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Uralsk

Teacher: Sergaliyeva A. Y.

Student: Aizhan Umerbayeva

Grade: 12H

Word count: 3090

 

Table of content

INTRODUCTION.. 3

AIMS. 5

CONTEXT. 6

METHOD.. 9

RESULTS. 11

CONCLUSION.. 13

EVALUATION.. 15

FURTHER RESEARCH.. 16

REFERENCE.. 17

APPENDIX 1. 19

APPENDIX 2. 21

 

 

INTRODUCTION

In everyday life it is easy to meet people who are very aggressive, negative and cannot find a compromise with others, and this usually lead into conflicts. The World Health Organization did some counts and identified that number of such people constitutes approximately 350 million. (World Health Organization, October 2012). For the fast coping with this disease people try to treat it by sound therapy, pottery and others. Maybe not all ways were really effective and helpful thus art-therapy became popular in twentieth century yet. Art therapy is a type of therapy that uses art for therapeutic purposes. This is healing by any art.

Nowadays the number of sufferers is relatively large. Furthermore the second name of depression is “plague of twenty first century”. (Telegina, June 2012). So I think the project needs to be done and it has certain causes to that. For instance that depression and mental disorders inhibit the performance of a person regardless of this school student or employee in the office. Such people want to be isolating from the surrounding society, to be constant depressed, not eating and closed in your own apartment or a room, thereby holding negative thoughts inside from others. The end of these behaviors is the same and suicide is the most frequent facing.

These are several questions I need to find answers, because I am really interested in this topic and I want to help people to escape from that issue. Likewise, I once again repeat that in this century this kind of diseases is becoming global and it is covering larger and larger scale. As faster we will prove and understand that art-therapy is the best method to deal with depression as sooner we will escape with that problem around the world. It motivates me much.

I hope the result of my study will help many sufferers out of this state as quickly as possible and much easier. What if art-therapy is the best way to heal sadness, anxiousness, emptiness, hopelessness? Then art-therapy would be one of the solutions.

AIMS

The main goals of my project are to investigate the problem of depression and to prove that art-therapy is the most effective way to deal with. This general research question can be broken up into the following more specific questions: