Psychosocial, symptomatic and diagnostic changes with long-term psychodynamic art psychotherapy for personality disorders

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in the, beginning and termination phases of psychotherapy in terms of psychosocial, symptomatic, diagnostic and personality qualities in patients with personality disorders receiving long term, individual psychodynamic art psychotherapy. This study was conducted with 17 patients at the Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry. Psychosocial and clinical data were collected with a Personal Information Questionnaire, MMPI and DSM-III-R. The overall functioning (GAF) of the patients significantly increased (General: z= -3.631, p<.001), (highest level: z= -3.626, p<.001). There were statistically significant decreases in alcohol use (z= -2.45, p<.05), suicidal ideation (z= -3.00, p<.01), impulsive behaviors (z= -3.74, p<.001), self-mutilative behaviors (z= -2.24, p<.05), psychotic symptoms (z= -2.00, p<.05) and psychotropic medication use (z = -2.71, p<.01) at the termination phase. This study demonstrates that in the treatment of personality disorders, long-term psychodynamic artwork is beneficial and drawing is a good container that allows working through in psychotherapy. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.