Joshua Kin Man NAN

Methods

Clay art therapy (CAT) has been evidenced in the effects of reducing psychological stress and strengthening resilience (Nan & Ho, 2017). This study adopted CAT as the intervention protocol in providing six 2-hour group sessions for local secondary 4-5 students guided by an art therapist. 21 students showing mild to moderate depressive symptoms (DASS-21; Mellor et al., 2015) were recruited on voluntary basis. The participants’ experiences and meanings imbedded in the CAT intervention process were qualitatively investigated with an art-based phenomenological approach (Marton, 1981).

Results: An independent researcher transcribed, coded the audiotapes of post-intervention focus group interviews; analysed and transformed the contents of the codes into themes. After data triangulation (e.g. checking the themes with the participants), the experiences of CAT were derived into three themes: (1) CAT provides a means to sooth emotions, achieve catharsis, and improve emotion regulation; (2) CAT improves perseverance and resilience in response to adversities and failures, and; (3) Ceramic products derived from clay embody new discoveries and meaning in life that give hope in hardship.

Conclusions: CAT enables the youth to unravel different emotional states. The ceramic products seem like a vehicle to carry them through socio-political instability. The study warrants a larger sample size to affirm and expand the treatment effect. A future research direction points toward a short-term, online-based CAT treatment under the pandemic.

References:
Marton, F. (1981). Phenomenography—describing conceptions of the world around us. Instructional science, 10(2), 177-200.

Mellor, D., Vinet, E. V., Xu, X., Mamat, N. H. B., Richardson, B., & Román, F. (2015). Factorial invariance of the DASS-21 among adolescents in four countries. European Journal of Psychological Assessment.

Nan, J. K. M., & Ho, R. T. (2017). Effects of clay art therapy on adults outpatients with major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 217, 237-245.

HKUMed. (2019). HKUMed reports real-time population data on depression and suicidal ideation: a ten-year prospective cohort. HKUMed. Retrieved from: https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/19680.html.

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背景︰受社會、政治動盪及新型冠狀病毒困擾，社會普遍對心理服務的需求飆升。由於疫情限制了面對面的常規輔導服務，替代的治療方法在應對社會需求方面至關重要。

方法︰為研究陶藝藝術治療的效用和機制， 一位藝術治療師以小組型式帶領21位情緒困擾的中四至中五學生進行6節，各2小時的陶藝藝術治療小組。

結果︰透過事後焦點小組訪談和每節藝術工作紙的紀錄，發現陶藝藝術治療的效用有三大方面：（1）陶藝製作能舒緩、抒發情感和改善情緒調控； （2）能加強對逆境的抵禦能力，以及； （3）陶藝作品作可以作為了解自我和發掘人生意義的媒介。

結論︰透過陶藝藝術治療過程和陶藝作品，年輕人能夠重新統整思緒，掌控自身情緒，並發掘新的人生意義.。