The development of science today and improvement of diet cause extension of human life expectancy. Therefore, percentage of low-income senior citizens who live themselves population has been growing. Especially, senior citizens who live alone are soc...
The development of science today and improvement of diet cause extension of human life expectancy. Therefore, percentage of low-income senior citizens who live themselves population has been growing. Especially, senior citizens who live alone are socially and economically isolated and physically vulnerable than the general
elderly people who live with the family. These are the main factors for the depression for living alone seniors. Depression in seniors is very closely related to the death and suicide, and this affects significantly the quality of their life. Thus, our society needs to have an urgent attention.
This case study was settled to help the living alone senior citizen’s psychological stability and wants to know the impact and effectiveness of art therapy program on depression. This study was done on a female senior citizen living herself.
This case was studied at the daycare center in Seoul for elderly people who have low income and 65 years and older getting free lunch. They had GDS-K questioners individually and answered verbally, and this had been dictated. As a result of the questioner, a senior citizen who had more than 17points, which is categorized on
tendency to have a depression, and selected one female senior citizen living alone, and then advice to have art therapy from July 2012 to March 2013 once every week for 60 minutes, total of 24 times of art therapy. This art therapy session was recorded and then analyzed the record. For the supplementary research, the case study was used GDS-K exam and HTP exam. Throughout the case study, the results are shown as below. Art therapy on a senior citizen who lives alone had a positive impact on depression. A senior citizen who lives alone had a tendency to have an isolated life, so at the early stage of the study, she showed depression and no
motivation. She had very inactive routine daily life due to no learning experience during her childhood, so art therapy seemed awkward and difficult at the beginning. However, when she tried this art therapy experience first time, it was interesting with bright art media. This fun art activity brought her vitality and animation unlikely boring daily life, so she was able to relieve her frustration, chagrin, and her loneliness. Gradually, she showed her brightness and cheery appearance.
The supplementary research, GDS-K exam, post test result showed that depression’s sub factors, which are central depression, loss of interest, unhappiness, nervousness, and poor motivation, had been improved. Also, this art therapy process influenced on accomplishment of self-esteem of the senior citizen living alone and complains on physical symptoms.
Through art therapy, she seemed confident and had positive behavior change. At the early stage of the study, she had lack of confident, so she thought that she couldn’t do anything. With this passive attitude, she limited herself using the art materials during art therapy, but when the study was proceeds more and more, she expressed more of herself and actively involved in the session using more of materials to represent her art work delicately and precisely.
Beside this, she was kept telling that she had no talent and she didn’t like it at the early stage of the study. Simultaneously she complained a lot on her physical symptoms. However, later the stage of her art therapy, she was telling that she felt great and she liked it, and also reduced complains on her physical symptoms.
For the result of the case study, art therapy program experienced the senior citizen who lives alone feels grace and increased interest and vitality, as well as self-esteem and accomplishment. Therefore, depressive tendency reduced, so it helps to see the life positively