Attention Deficit Disorder ( ADD ) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD )

Abstract

Note We hope you will find this listing of art therapy outcome and single subject studies useful for purposes of research, grant writing, demonstrating support for your art therapy program, and as evidence of the effects of art therapy with various client populations. Listings are grouped primarily by client populations. Abstracts are provided for the two journals that gave copyright permissions without a fee: Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association and American Journal of Art Therapy. Abstracts written or modified by Research Committee members appear for some listings. Links to the abstracts or articles are provided for some articles. The AATA Research Committee plans to update this listing annually. When time permits we hope to also write abstracts to provide the best assessment of the contents, strengths, and weaknesses of each study. We welcome input from art therapists who become aware of studies that we may have missed. Please direct any corrections or additions to: rvander3@naz.edu. Aim & Method: Using a single-subject, multiple-baseline research design, this study investigates the creative growth and behavioral changes precipitated by the work done in art therapy through employment of the mandala as an active centering device with children (N = 8: 4 experimental and 4 control, ages 10-13) who have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), accompanied by a history of impulsivity. During specified intervals of treatment, a drawing was requested. " Draw a person picking an apple from a tree " was rated according to the guidelines of the Environment. " Baseline data were gathered from historical and observable patterns of behavior, use of the Child Behavioral Checklist (Attenbach, 1979), general artwork produced before the intervention, and the repeated drawing task...produced prior to the introduction of the intervention " (p. 253). " Ongoing behavioral data were charted through direct observation. The [5-minute-minimum, mandala-drawing] intervention was considered to begin during the art therapy sessions in which the mandala drawing was first introduced " (p. 253). Results: Through examination of the drawings by three independent trained raters, and objective findings of this scale, it appears that a visual measurement of creative growth was achieved. Preliminary findings indicate that the mandala exercise has the effect of increasing attentional abilities and decreasing impulsive behaviors over time, allowing for better decision making, completion of task, general growth in developmental level, and an interest in personal aesthetics. This article presents the …