An evaluation of visual arts and poetry as therapeutic interventions with abused adolescents

The study investigates the effectiveness of visual arts and poetry as interventions in alleviating symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adolescents with history of abuse. Participants were selected from five shelters within Metro Manila based on the depression and PTSD measures. They were divided into three groups: visual arts, poetry, and control groups. Each of the intervention groups went through eight sessions of art works or poetry with specific themes and modality. Results show that participants in the intervention groups had a general decrease of scores from pretest to posttest on the depression and PTSD scales. On the other hand, many participants in the control group obtained higher posttest scores. Results also indicate that the visual arts intervention was significantly effective in alleviating symptoms of PTSD but not of depression; while poetry intervention was significantly effective in alleviating symptoms of depression it was less so in treating PTSD. Nonetheless, analysis on the activities held suggests that the visual arts and poetry interventions helped the adolescents address their issues, make sense of their lives, and create positive alternative stories for themselves. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.