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Designing For Adolescent Mental Wellness: An Analysis Of Museum Education, Art Therapy, And Developmental Theory, Katherine Angela Himics

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Museums serve as therapeutic environments providing positive, arts engagement opportunities for visitors’ mental wellness and growth. Literature reveals that mental wellness programming in the museum environment predominantly serves adult audiences, yet the presentation of mental illness symptoms commonly begins during adolescence. In response, this study sought to provide an accessible, replicable structure for the design and implementation of adolescent mental wellness programming. Through a qualitative textual and content analysis, this study developed a series of recommendations for the development of said programming informed by the comparison of clinical art therapy practices, adolescent developmental theory, and the strengths of museum education.

The Efficacy Of Art Therapy As An Adjunctive Therapy For Psychosis: A Literature Review, Erin Tillquist

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Psychosis is a serious symptom of mental illness that is characterized by a detachment from reality. This can include experiencing visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations, as well as delusions or false beliefs (American Psychiatric Association, DSM-V, 2013). Psychosis is a symptom of many disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder, and dementia, among many others. Art therapy is often overlooked as a valuable treatment for psychosis, mainly due to a lack of research in the field and the difficulty of maintaining controlled research parameters with this acute population (Tamminga & Lahti, 2011). Likewise, psychosis is generally perceived as manageable …

How Can Art Therapy Be Utilized To Improve The Mental Health And Quality Of Life Of Pediatric Oncology Patients?, Emily Golubowski

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pediatric oncology patients and survivors endure multiple obstacles related to physical health and recovery during and after their treatment time. In addition, mental health complications related to adjustment, anxiety, depression, and stress can complicate the overall quality of life and functioning of individuals who have endured this diagnosis and treatment. As an intervention, art therapy can provide relief from physical symptom management, relieve mental health symptoms and stressors, and improve overall quality of life. Art therapy directives and professional work can assist in teaching appropriate coping skills, enhance emotional intelligence, improve communication, restore a sense of control, and improve overall …

Zentangles For Mental Health Awareness, Rachel Immel

Honors Projects

The world is starting to see the rise of a stress related epidemic. Finding time to balance the struggles of everyday life, like academics, finances, careers and relationships, while also maintaining personal mental health is becoming increasingly difficult. This is what prompted me to use my project as an opportunity to help people relieve stress and create a community through the use of art, especially during a time where social interaction has been severely limited due to COVID-19.

My project is a series of live-streamed Zentangle art classes I hosted personally that were open to the public through Zoom. Zentangle …

Assessing The Need For Mental Health Interventions Within The Law Enforcement Community, Lizzi Varga Reinard

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

This research explored mental health interventions within the police. There is a need for mental health in law enforcement (O’Hara, 2018; Blue Help, 2019; Waters & Ussery, 2007; Mohandie & Hatchert, 1999; Miller, 1999; Violanti, 2010). Having been a law enforcement officer myself, I have experienced the stigma and the need of mental health care. I used a cross-sectional survey design to obtain further information on police officers in a Midwest county in the United States to assess the need for mental health interventions. I created response artwork prior to obtaining the survey results (to help assess and sort through …

A Systematic Review: Effectiveness Of Complementary Therapies On Mental Status Of Pediatric Oncology Patients, Sara Fredricks, Jessica Lloyd, Whitney Wendling

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Children with cancer frequently suffer from depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, and psychological stresses related to knowledge of potential risks, associated treatments, and the illness itself. These psychological problems can cause many additional physiological problems for these already chronically ill patients and may be detrimental to their overall health. The purpose of this systematic review is to review and critically appraise the evidence to determine if the use of Complementary and Alternative Methods (CAM), along with standardized care, affects mental health outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. Twenty-one primary source publications between 2013 and 2019 were analyzed for this systematic review. …