Art Therapy in Patients with Psoriasis

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the themes that emerged after an art therapy and assessing the effectiveness of art therapy using psychological scales and dermatological evaluation indices before and after the therapy in individuals with psoriasis. The study included patients aged 18-65 with moderate psoriasis who had the disease for 5 or more years and were in need of systemic treatment. Those who had a concomitant physical disorder including another skin disease, an active joint disorder or a psychiatric diagnosis other than adjustment disorder were excluded from the study. A total of 15 sessions each lasting 150 minutes were held once a week. Various art techniques including music, painting, and ceramics were practiced to evaluate within the group patients’ understanding of the illness and their self-awareness. The outcomes of the study were presented over three patients who attended the sessions regularly. The dermatological evaluations, patient feedback, and observations of the psychotherapists have shown that art therapy can be an effective method in attenuating the symptoms of psoriasis and evoking awareness of repressed experiences or feelings.

Keywords

• psoriasis
• art therapy
• group therapy