The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of art therapy on the anger and depression of an immigrant woman victimized by domestic violence.
The subject of this study is an immigrant woman who lives in a residential facility operated by a she...
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of art therapy on the anger and depression of an immigrant woman victimized by domestic violence.
The subject of this study is an immigrant woman who lives in a residential facility operated by a shelter for victims of domestic violence located in G-City and the subject was selected as a participant by a counselor at the shelter after expressing her willingness to participate in this study. The study period was from March 16, 2024, to May 18, 2024, with a total of 18 sessions of 60 minutes twice a week, and pre- and post-tests were administered before and after the main session. The follow-up test was administered approximately two months after the post-test.
The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-Korea (STAXI-K), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Sentence Completion Test (SCT), Draw-A-Story (DAS), and Person in the Rain (PITR) Test were used to examine changes in anger and depression in the subjects and the results were compared and analyzed. In addition, each session was recorded and the subject's behavior was observed and recorded for qualitative analysis.
The findings of this study are as follows.
First, art therapy was found to have a positive effect on anger change in the immigrant woman who had experienced domestic violence. The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-Korea (STAXI-K) subscales of state anger, trait anger, suppression, and expression showed a decrease. In addition, the pre- and post-test and follow-up test results of the Sentence Completion Test (SCT) showed a decrease in anger, and the pre- and post-test and follow-up test results of the Draw-A-Story (DAS) showed a positive change in anger.
Second, art therapy was found to have a positive effect on depressive mood in the immigrant woman who had experienced domestic violence. Emotional, cognitive, motivational, and physiological symptoms, subscales of the BDI, decreased. In addition, pre-, post-, and follow-up tests of the Sentence Completion Test (SCT) showed decreased depression, and pre-, post-, and follow-up tests of the Person in the Rain (PITR) showed positive changes in depression.
Third, a qualitative analysis of the art therapy program by session and phase showed positive changes in anger and depression in the immigrant woman who had experienced domestic violence. The subject showed positive changes in recognizing, expressing, and acknowledging her repressed emotions through art therapy.
The results of this study showed that art therapy had a positive effect on the anger and depression of the immigrant woman who had been a victim of domestic violence. However, this study is a single case study of one person and it is difficult to generalize, so it is necessary to conduct a comparative study or a series of studies with different cases. This study is valuable for its potential use in the field of counseling and psychotherapy for immigrant women as well as victims of domestic violence.