A pilot study on the effectiveness of the use of expressive arts therapy in pain management for the elderly in Hong Kong

Abstract

Pain limits function and impact one’s psychological well-being. Old age was one of the major risk factors for chronic pain as pain is commonly found with most age-related diseases and illnesses. Clinically, medication prescription is the most common practice for relieving pain. It addresses the physical pain but leaves the psychological and spiritual needs unattended. The effectiveness of expressive arts therapy in treating pain experience is unclear as there is limited research looking at how expressive arts therapy improved pain and other psychological domains in elderly population with self-reported pain. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of group expressive arts therapy intervention on elderly in relieving pain and pain interference, improving quality of life, life satisfaction, mood and spiritual well-being. Sixteen Chinese adults aged 60 or above with self-reported pain were recruited in an elderly home. This research consisted of three parts 1) a randomized controlled pilot study with pre-test and post-test measurements, comparing intervention group with wait-list control group quantitatively, 2) post-test interview with intervention group, and 3) observations from the intervention group. Quantitative analyses showed that mood and life satisfaction were significantly improved when comparing the changes in pre-and post-test score between intervention and control groups. Five out of six participants reported less pain in post-test interview. Thirteen themes of benefits of expressive arts therapy were identified in qualitative analyses such as promoting peacefulness, engaging body and mind, empowerment, social support etc.