The Impact of Group Art Therapy on Caregivers of Dementia Patients: Focusing on Depression, Caregiver Burden, and Social Support = 집단미술치료가 치매환자 돌봄제공자에게 미치는 영향: 우울, 부양부담, 사회적 지지 중심으로

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to investigate the impact of group art therapy on caregivers of dementia patients, specifically its effects on depression, caregiver burden, and social support. A total of eight sessions of group art therapy were conducted from August 11 to October 6, 2023, for caregivers of dementia patients. The therapeutic outcomes were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, the Zarit Burden Interview (S-ZBI) for caregiver burden, and the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) for social support, all administered before and after the therapy sessions. Data analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS 20.0, with Cronbach’s α used to assess the reliability of the measurement tools. The findings of the study are as follows: First, the level of depression among caregivers decreased, with the number of participants exhibiting depression dropping from three in the pre-test to two in the post-test. Second, social support increased significantly in the statistics that excluded non-cohabiting caregivers. Third, group dynamics, as observed throughout the sessions, improved from an average score of 24.33 in the first session to 30.50 in the final session. This study highlights the potential of group art therapy to alleviate the psychological and emotional challenges faced by caregivers of dementia patients while enhancing their social support. The results suggest the need for group art therapy and further research in this area.