| Abstract [eng] |
Topic: art therapy experiences of women who have experienced violence. Problem of research: violence against women is a serious public health problem. Violence harms women's psychological health. The use of therapeutic interventions is an important factor in the process of reducing the risk of violence against women. Art therapy can be an effective tool to help. However, the amount of research on art therapy experiences of abused women is limited, and such a research object has not yet been studied in Lithuania. Aim: to reveal and systematically describe the art therapy experiences of women who have experienced violence. Research objectives: 1) To reveal and systematically describe the art therapy experiences of women who have experienced violence; 2) To conduct a content analysis of the artworks of women who have experienced violence; 3) To review possible connections between the art therapy experiences revealed in the thematic analysis and the content analysis of the artworks of women who have experienced violence; 4) To compare the obtained results in the context of other studies Methods of research: a qualitative research strategy. Data collection methods: individual semi- structured interviews, observation of art therapy sessions and photography of drawings. Research participants: 4 abused women who participated in 10 group art therapy sessions. The data collected during the interviews were analyzed using the inductive thematic analysis method. The artworks together with the observation data were analyzed using the content analysis of drawings method. Results: the thematic analysis revealed 3 themes describing the art therapy experiences of women who have experienced violence: Art therapy as a healer of the soul; Aspects of the creative process; Aspects of the interaction between the participants of the art therapy group. The content analysis of the drawings revealed 11 groups of artworks: Laima: Dominant blue color and purposeful composition, Image of the sea, ocean, Abundance of objects.; Austėja: Image of a circle in the center of the sheet, Framed objects, Colors in my heart.; Simona: Grey color, Image of plants, Image of a heart in the palm of your hand.; Diana: Elements of the house and garden, Dominant red color. Conclusions: 1) Revealing and systematically describing the art therapy experiences of women who have experienced violence identified that art therapy is perceived as a healer of the soul and the aspects of the creative process and the interconnectedness between group participants are significant. 2) Through a content analysis of the drawings, the following experiences of the study participants emerged: self-confidence, search for personal resources, peace, hope, psychological growth, expression of feelings, change, enlightenment, insight into one’s own beauty, unconscious internal aspects, disclosure of personal traits, positive thoughts, difficult experiences, striving for security, the importance of creating mutual connections, creation through symbols, movement and touch. 3) 7 connections between the results of the thematic analysis and the content analysis were identified: Self-empowerment; Expression of feelings; Disclosure of difficult experiences; Creation through movement and touch; Parallels between a drawing and internal experiences; The importance of creating a mutual connection; The importance of security. 4) Comparing the obtained results with other studies revealed that the findings of this study partially correspond to research found in the literature. The data of the reviewed literature are supplemented by the following results: in art therapy, women who have experienced violence manage to rearrange their responsibilities, see their inner colors and realize that the analysis of drawings becomes comprehensive in the group. |
