A MULTI-CENTRE RANDOMIZED CONTROL GROUP TRIAL ON THE USE OF ART THERAPY FOR OLDER PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA

December 2006 vol. 39 no. 4 517-536 by GROUP ANALYSIS ONLINE JOURNAL
Jennifer Rusted, Linda Sheppard, Diane Waller

The principal aim of this study is to evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of art therapy for older people with dementia, specifically to test the premise that participation in art therapy groups effects significant positive changes in mood and cognition both immediately within sessions and later outside the sessions to impact behaviour in the day care/residential care setting. The broader aim is to provide an evidence-based evaluation about the use of art therapy for older people with dementia. In order to isolate the impact of art therapy we compared art therapy groups with activity groups that do not have emotional expression as a central purpose.