Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena

Abstract

Schizophrenia is one of the most disabling psychiatric disorder: displaying positive symptoms such as hallucinations, confused thoughts and speech and negative ones, e.g. flat affect and abulia, it worsens people’s health conditions, as well as their social, career, life expectations.
Notwithstanding antipsychotic medications have appreciable effects on the former psychotic behaviours, they do not produce the same effects on the latter: since these symptoms cause suffering as well, it has been important to focus on a non-pharmacological approach beside the conventional drug treatment.
Art therapy is an alternative treatment and is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Through the different artistic expressions (visual arts, music, dance, literature, drama, poetry) people can express their thoughts and feelings. The aim of such treatment is leading to the self-awareness.
The paper sets its goal in supporting how art therapy has successfully helped a patient with schizophrenia and underlines to which extent it improved his health condition. The reached outcome include medication adherence, withdrawal from alcohol and substance use and coping strategies improvement.
Relevant sources to develop this dissertation have been the personal nursing training experience and the literature search. Many articles have highlighted the effectiveness of art therapy compared with standard cares.
Since art therapy enable its practitioners to effect growth on a personal level, it is a reliable instrument to improve not only functioning but also life satisfaction.
The nurse is playing an important role in designing treatment strategies and acting as a facilitator during the rehabilitation process.