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.