Effectiveness of Art Therapy on Emotional Expression and Self-Worth in Women with Depression
Keywords:
Art therapy, Emotional expression, Self-worth, Women, DepressionAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a structured art therapy program in improving emotional expression and self-worth among women diagnosed with depression.
Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial design was employed with 30 female participants from Hungary, aged 20 to 50, who met DSM-5 criteria for moderate to severe depression. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15), receiving six weekly art therapy sessions of 60–75 minutes each, or a control group (n = 15) with no intervention. Standardized assessment tools measured emotional expression and self-worth at three time points: pretest, posttest, and five-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate changes over time and between groups, followed by Bonferroni post-hoc tests. All procedures adhered to ethical guidelines, and informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Findings: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a statistically significant main effect of time and group for both emotional expression (F(2, 56) = 29.91, p < .001, η² = .51) and self-worth (F(2, 56) = 40.76, p < .001, η² = .58). Interaction effects between time and group were also significant (p < .001), indicating that the experimental group experienced a greater improvement than the control group over time. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons showed a notable increase in both emotional expression and self-worth scores from pretest to posttest (p < .001), which was maintained at five-month follow-up (p > .05), suggesting durable intervention effects.
Conclusion: The results underscore the potential value of art therapy as an effective nonpharmacological intervention for enhancing emotional expression and self-worth in women with depression, with positive outcomes persisting at follow-up. These findings encourage greater implementation of creative therapies in mental health services.
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