Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Music Therapy On Individuals With Dementia: An Intergrative Literature Review, Liani Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this integrative review was to examine the effects of music therapy, a complementary intervention, on individuals with dementia. Peer-reviewed journals were retrieved from MEDLINE, CINAHL, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Music Index to evaluate their relevance to music therapy use in people diagnosed with dementia. English and Spanish-language research articles published from 2000-2017 were included for the review (n=15). The literature indicates the use of music therapy as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of dementia in older adults may be beneficial in decreasing symptoms of aggression, anxiety, agitation and depression. …

Anxious?: Re-Designing Women’S Jewelry To Help Manage Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders, Nourbanu Feras Hijazi

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is a common and often stigmatized condition. Destigmatizing mental disorders can positively impact people’s interaction and communication with others and can prompt conversations in which people share their experiences with mental health, leading to improved societal understanding and perception.

My design solution tackles behavioral symptoms of anxiety, specifically two conditions that fall under obsessive-compulsive behavior: Dermatillomania and Trichotillomania. By redesigning women’s jewelry to specialized accessories, my intention is for these objects to help destigmatize these conditions and relieve symptoms of maladaptive behaviors and hurtful impulses. By redirecting these irresistible urges to an external artifact, the objects are designed to …

Nonpharmacological Behavioral Interventions For Patients With Dementia: An Integrative Literature Review, Michelle Monique Spears

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of antipsychotic medications in older adults with dementia increases risk of

mortality; therefore, it is critical that nurses use nonpharmacological interventions in dementia care. The nurses' role is integral to implementation of treatment strategies to dementia patients and efforts to improve care in patients with dementia using a nonpharmacological approach are necessary. Therefore, guidelines outlining nonpharmacologic dementia care management will enable nurses to provide a wider spectrum of care to dementia patients. The purpose of this project was to make recommendations for the development and implementation of interdisciplinary practice guidelines to standardize care in the organizational setting. An …

An Annotated Bibliography Of Creative Interventions Within Dance/Movement Therapy, Kaitlynn Kavanaugh

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This annotated bibliography explores how creativity is integrated in dance/movement therapy (DMT) interventions. The central question guiding this research was: How is creativity explicitly implemented in DMT interventions, approaches, and/or theoretical frameworks? Literature was gathered from journal articles, books, book chapters, and online peer reviews; a total of fifteen sources were annotated. During the research process, several challenges emerged when searching for explicit explanations of creativity used within DMT. This included annotations from sources which described creativity used within DMT interventions, approaches and theoretical frameworks that did not explicitly define creativity. This bibliography uncovers several themes related to the concept …

Hippotherapy: An Alternative Treatment From The Perceptions Of Practitioners, Leah Tinkham

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Hippotherapy can be defined as a dynamic service offered by occupational, physical, and speech-language pathologists that utilizes a horse’s unique movement to achieve functional outcomes. While there are an abundance of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of hippotherapy, very few have examined the perceptions of the practitioners. The purposes of this thesis are to investigate hippotherapy’s effectiveness as well as to examine the beliefs and attitudes towards hippotherapy use among occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists. A literature review was conducted to examine the effectiveness of hippotherapy.

The study included a total of 15 occupational, physical, and speech-language therapists who …

Therapeutic Benefits Of Art Therapy With Adults Who Have Traumatic Brain Injury With Depression And/Or Anxiety, Guadalupe Flores

Undergraduate Honors College Theses 2016-

This honors college thesis is about how art therapy can impact depression and/or anxiety with Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI). Traumatic Brain Injury is a direct blow or penetrating object to the head that was caused by acceleration, deceleration or direct force. TBI can impact quality of life emotionally, physicality and their cognition. Depression is one of the most common diagnosis within TBI clients, about thirty-three percent of the population are diagnosed with depression post one year from their accidents (Driskell, Starosta, & Brenner, 2016). Anxiety is the second most common diagnosis within TBI clients. The art therapy interventions that are developed …

Opening Minds Through Art: Engaging Art Agencies To Foster Community Participation And Commitment, Ashlyn Cunningham

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Opening Minds through Art [OMA] is a visual arts program for individuals with dementia which aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals living with dementia, as well as their caregivers, through a creative opportunity held within their own community. The intent of this project was for community art agencies and galleries to participate in dementia-specific training to develop programming for individuals with dementia so that clients with memory needs can actively engage in the creative arts in St. Louis. This project used a pre-post design to analyze perceptions regarding arts based programming with people who have memory …

Alternative Therapies For People With Special Needs: An Emphasis On Animal-Assisted Therapies, Emily Hamilton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper contains research examining the effectiveness of alternative therapies - play therapy, art therapy, music therapy, horticulture therapy, and animal-assisted therapies – in helping various special needs populations. The focus of this research was on animal-assisted therapies that utilized therapy dogs or horses. These therapies provide a plethora of benefits physically, mentally, and psychologically. 11 interviews were conducted with counselors, psychologists, therapy dog owners, and an equine therapy director to further examine the effectiveness of these alternative therapy programs. Each interview presented unique evidence of the positive impact these therapies are having on various populations. All research into these …

A Wilderness And Art Therapy Program For Children With Social Concerns, Ashlynn C. Wardle

Honors Projects

For my honors project, I created an alternative therapy program for children with special needs. Activities were designed to support children with varied needs such as children with autism, ADHD, or learning disabilities. The program utilizes the most successful factors from the fields of art therapy, wilderness therapy, special education, applied behavior analysis, and speech and language therapy the program to form age appropriate, educational, and fun art and wilderness opportunities.

Comparing Textbooks From Entry-Level Courses In Music Therapy And Related Health Professions, Alexandria Langella

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapists often co-treat with other therapists from related professions, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. In order to co-treat effectively and obtain referrals for music therapy services, it is important that other professionals have an awareness of the profession of music therapy. University-level professional training program courses are one place where health care professionals may learn about music therapy. The purpose of this study was to see if required textbooks used in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology entry-level courses in Kentucky contain references to music therapy, and if the required textbooks used in music therapy …

Moving Thru: Dance/Movement Therapy Based Program For Direct Caregivers Of Childhood Survivors Of Human Trafficking And Commercial Sexual Exploitation In Belize, Amy Vanbecelaere

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this project was to; identify the biopsychosocial needs of child survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Belize and to develop a dance/movement therapy based program that Belizean caregivers can utilize to better serve the children they work with. The Moving THRU (Trauma Healing, Recovery + Understanding) program was developed based on current literature regarding post-trafficking mental health care and information provided in interviews by Belizean direct caregivers currently working with youth who have been trafficked and exploited in the Cayo District of central Belize. The curriculum is designed to help direct caregivers utilize techniques …

Using Interpersonal Process Recall (Ipr) To Examine The Effects Of Equine Assisted Activities On The Personal And Professional Development Of Student Therapists, Dianna Isabel Giraldez

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The Introduction to Equine Assisted Family Therapy course offered at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) provides Master’s and Doctoral level student therapists the opportunity to learn how to conduct an equine session and how to utilize horses as part of the therapeutic process. Students learn about the underlying theories and framework behind the equine activities and methodology, as well as participate in the equine activities themselves. For the purpose of this study, classroom discussions centered around processing the students’ experiences and were further enriched by viewing photographs and videos that had been taken of the students conducting the equine activities. The …

Addressing Mental Health Disorders And Hiv Vulnerability Of Marginalized Adolescents In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nrupa Jani, Lung Vu, Sam Kalibala, Gebeyehu Mekonnen, Kay Lynn

HIV and AIDS

Ethiopia is experiencing an increasingly urban, female-centered HIV epidemic alongside a rise in rural migration of adolescents to Addis Ababa. Often these migrants are confronted by social challenges such as lack of education, inadequate housing, unstable employment conditions, and physical and sexual abuse. These difficult living circumstances contribute to psychological and mental health problems among these adolescents, potentially putting them at greater risk of acquiring HIV. However, knowledge about how targeted mental health interventions can impact HIV-related outcomes worldwide, and in Ethiopia, remains limited. The goal of this study was to pilot test a strategy for addressing mental health problems, …

Balancing Act: Successfully Combining Creativity And Accountability In The Practice Of Marriage And Family Therapy, Nathalie Duque Bello

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The conditions that allowed early MFTs the freedom to creatively explore different interventions and theories of change are no longer available in today’s mental health care system. Although there are many benefits to the structure of managed behavioral healthcare organizations, a thorough review of the literature demonstrates that many therapists working in managed care agencies struggle with maintaining their theoretical creativity, claiming third-party payers’ service requirements and paperwork a barrier to their creativity. A phenomenological transcendental research method was utilized to understand the phenomenon of successfully combining creativity and accountability in the practice of marriage and family therapy from the …

Just A “Click” Away From Evidence-Based Online Breast Cancer Information, Advice And Support Provided By A Specialist Nurse: An Ethnonetnographic Study, Cynthia Ann Witney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Breast cancer has had, and will continue to have, a devastating impact on the lives of many Australian women, their families, friends and the wider community. The concomitant treatment of this disease places a considerable burden on the health care system and the supporters of the person diagnosed with this disease. While there are many government and non-government organisations that provide treatment and support services for the person with breast cancer, these services are usually provided in person either in the home or at the organisation’s offices. This study extended the information advice and support aspects of these services to …

Formative Research To Develop An Intervention For Addressing Mental Health/Psychosocial Issues And Hiv Vulnerability Of Marginalized Adolescents In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nrupa Jani, Katie D. Schenk

HIV and AIDS

Children and adolescents who migrate from rural regions to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia often flee their households to escape from abusive families, forced marriages, poverty, lack of economic opportunity and education, and other social problems. They are often met with equally harsh, if not worse, challenges when they arrive in Addis Ababa, including treacherous living situations, abusive working conditions with meager compensation, limited opportunities for education and socialization, and absence of family support. This study conducted a qualitative needs assessment to determine type and extent of mental health and psychological needs among adolescent migrants living in Addis Ababa in order to …

The Phenomenon Of Play Within A Dance/Movement Therapy Setting With Adults, Alison Teichart

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the phenomenon of play and its integration into a dance/movement therapy (DMT) setting with adults. This research focused specifically on adults because play is often neglected during adulthood—despite the fact that play continues to be vital throughout life and has many therapeutic properties. In this phenomenological qualitative study, data was collected through interviews with dance/movement therapists, who identified themselves as using play within their clinical work. From the data, themes were identified, which revealed how dance/movement therapists integrated play into their work and what they experienced as a result of this integration. …

Breaking The Silence And Moving Voices: Dance/Movement Therapy In The Treatment Of Male And Female Sexual Trauma Survivors, Sarah A. Winkler

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research was to decipher the benefits and challenges of using a body-based therapy on male and female survivors of sexual trauma, to explore how dance/movement therapy is a therapeutic intervention that facilitates recovery within this population, and to illuminate whether gender socialization practices have an impact on how trauma is processed and emoted within the male and female bodies. The thesis provides information about common presenting problems, treatment models, and case studies for both sexes of this population. Using a loosely structured eleven count questionnaire, case studies, anecdotes, and movement observations employing Laban Movement Analysis terminology …

Identification Of Effective Play Techniques For Use With Children In A Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Jan Schwarzrock

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project was to identify which play techniques are the most effective and produce good outcomes for children. Children enter therapy for a number of reasons to improve their emotional and cognitive wellbeing, however engaging them can be challenging. During a therapeutic session, children use play to share experiences through the toys they choose, whereas adults verbally express themselves. The Allina Health/NUMC Outpatient Therapy Department was interested in the identification of play techniques that they could be used to enhance their work with children with the intent to explore the impact of using play techniques on …

Creativity In An Online Community As A Response To The Chaos Of A Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Cynthia Witney, Lelia Green, Leesa Costello, Vanessa Bradshaw

Research outputs 2013

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Visual Art-Making On The Brain, Christopher Belkofer

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Although advancements in neuroscience research have informed the rationale of various art therapy interventions and explanatory frameworks, almost no empirical evidence exists as to how art therapy impacts the brain. Utilizing research that supports the QEEG (quantitative electroencephalogram) as a means for measuring the impact of therapeutic interventions, the brain activity of 10 participants was recorded before and after creating a spontaneous drawing. Each participant, who had 20 minutes to create an image of their choice using oil pastels, was asked to describe their image and their process. Paired t tests (p < .05) and z scores were calculated to compare relative …

Exploring The Sibling Relationship Through Art Therapy: A Case Study, Laura Michalski

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The sibling relationship is said to be the longest relationship most individuals will share; therefore, it is surprising to see that most sibling research has been conducted within the confines of family studies with few studies focusing solely on the children’s bond with each another. Because the majority of the United States’ population has at least one sibling, this is a topic that calls for further research. Studies have shown that the quality of a relationship between siblings has the ability to influence individual growth, the sibling bond, social skills, self-esteem, depression, and aggression. However, when observing or conducting interventions …

Dance/Movement Therapy In India, Rakhi Rangparia

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This research presents the field of dance/movement therapy (DMT) in India. The purpose of the research was to understand how DMT is practiced and perceived by current dance/movement therapists in India. The qualitative, ethnographic research was conducted in India by interviewing dance/movement therapists and observing the current DMT practice. The ethnographic component of the research was included to investigate the cultural influence of DMT practice in India. The results presents the social and cultural perspectives about DMT in India including: the challenges and the success experienced in the DMT field by current dance/movement therapists, the western DMT techniques used and …

Art As Occupation: A Phenomenological Study Of Art As A Means Of Self-Expression For An Individual Recovering From Severe Physical, Sexual, And Ritual Abuse, Raina Kay Remole

Online Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study presents an in-depth exploration of one individual's retrospective account of using art over approximately ten years in Occupational Therapy (OT) intervention while recovering from severe abuse with a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). After an extensive literature review, the qualitative data was gathered during thorough semi-structured interviews using conference calls and correspondence through e-mail with the participant. Data analysis involved horizontalization of narrative data resulting in the dissemination of meaning units. From these a textual and structural description of the participant's individual experience emerged through self-reflection and discussion of meaning units with the participant and outside …

The Emotional Road To Recovery: Tracking The Mind And Body Experience Of Shame In Women Recovering From Drugs And Alcohol, Nicole Dibacco

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this thesis project was to identify the emotional experiences of women who are in recovery for addiction on a verbal and non-verbal level and determine if shame is a predominant emotion. Through the combination of phenomenological and clinical case study methodologies, this thesis examines the verbal disclosures and movement responses of women within dance/movement therapy groups, through video recording and journal entries. Content analysis resulted in the identification of primary themes, which included circumstances related to relationship and responsibility, shame related to responsibility, goals for their relationships and for self. The resulting implications for dance/movement therapy methods …

Multidimensional Analysis: A Video Based Case Study Research Methodology For Examining Individual Dance/Movement Therapy Sessions, Amanda Mitchell

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

Multidimensional Analysis, a video based case study research methodology, was created by this author to examine multivariable qualitative data and develop an understanding of the therapeutic value and relational characteristics of auditory, visual and contextual components in individual dance/movement therapy sessions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefits and limitations of Multidimensional Analysis based on its development and use in a preliminary study. Multidimensional Analysis involved an examination of individual dance/movement therapy sessions as a whole, as differentiated moments, and again as a whole. Videotaping each session was the primary form of data collection from which all …

Art Therapy Student Placement : Challenge And Opportunity?, Niamh Kennedy

Theses

The purpose of this research project is to explore the sector of Student Placement as it forms a significant part of the training programme on the MA in Art Therapy in Cork. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of this part of the educational process for trainees and investigate the impact the Clinical Placement experience has on Student Art Therapists.

By reflecting on the advancement of Art Therapy in our neighbouring isle and exploring the growth of Art Therapy as a profession in the Republic of Ireland, this study aims to chronicle a more recent Irish history of Art …

Art Therapy And Sensory Stimulation To Decrease Agitation: A Pilot Study, Leslie Cristen Lavergne

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Dementia affects 1% of older adults in America between the ages of 65 and 74 years, and increases to 10% in those 85 years and older. The cognitive and behavioral symptoms of dementia may restrict an individuals ability to perform activities of daily living, such as self-care, memory, and language. The literature supports the premise that individuals who have dementia can benefit from a treatment approach that focuses on medication regulation, as well as mental stimulation. This study was an art therapy and sensory stimulation intervention designed to reduce agitation, a common non-cognitive symptom of dementia. This study included five …

Characteristics Of Human Figure Drawings Created By Students With Learning Disabilities, Monika L. Isip

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Previous research concerning the artistic indicators of learning disabilities has yielded inconsistent results. Children with learning disabilities comprise a heterogeneous population, with diverse strengths and challenges. There has been a lack of research on the graphic indicators of learning disabilities, which takes this diversity into account. This study aimed at exploring the characteristics of Human Figure Drawings (HFDs) created by students with learning disabilities.

The study examined the HFDs of 2 Virginia Beach Public School 2nd graders who were identified by their parents as having learning disabilities; one child’s disability was described as being a decoding deficit and the other …

Recreational Manual For Caregivers Of Individuals With Cerebral Palsy, Erica Bucher

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A brief literature review was conducted on cerebral palsy to gain general information and statistics. After reviewing the literature, it was noted that there is a significantly high number of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year. These individuals are at a high risk to experience the lack of opportunity for a wide choice of recreational activities. To understand the magnitude of the problem an extensive literature review was done on this topic. It was found that the lack of access and participation in independent recreational opportunities may lead to the development of dependent behavioral patterns, learned helplessness and depression. …