Art psychotherapy with adult offenders who have intellectual and developmental disabilities

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of art psychotherapy with adult offenders who have intellectual and developmental disabilities within an inpatient setting. The research looked at significant events taking place within the treatment that supported therapeutic outcomes. The aims of the research were to investigate a range of explanations for measurable therapeutic change that could be plausibly related to the processes observed in therapy. Design: Four single-case studies were conducted with pre-treatment, treatment, and post treatment assessment using multiple measures of change and observations of process. Participants: Four male participants with mild intellectual and developmental disabilities from an NHS medium-low secure forensic hospital in the UK. Intervention: Each participant completed up to 20 individual art psychotherapy sessions within six months. The treatment sought to engage each participant in making personally generated art work which was then discussed with the therapist. Main outcome measures: Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT); Daily Self-Rating Scale for specific symptoms; Personal Problem Scale; Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS); Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18); Glasgow Anxiety Scale for adults with Intellectual Disabilities (GAS-ID); Glasgow Depression Scale for people with a Learning Disability (GDS-LD); Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Results: The main outcomes show a post-treatment reduction in aggressive styles of interacting with others for two participants in a medium secure unit. Daily Self-Rating Scale measures show an improved post-therapy trend for three participants, with all participants reporting improvement on the Personal Problem Scale and positive changes in CCRT interpersonal schemas. Behavioural and relational outcomes were observed to promote pro-social responses towards others three months following the end of treatment. Art psychotherapy was found to have positive therapeutic benefits for each of the four participants