Impacts of Art Therapy and Psychotherapy Palliative Care Settings - Literature review Example

Impacts of Art therapy and psychotherapy palliative care settings’ Name of Student: Institutional Affiliation: Introduction Task 1 (a) Twycross (2003) asserts that palliative care involves active and full care given to patients with life-limiting diseases, and members of their families, by a team of multi-professionals when the patient is no longer responsive to life-prolonging treatments or curative drugs. Palliative care, oftentimes, is confused with hospice care since hospice care, in some countries, is used to denote community-based palliative care (Twycross, 2003). When administering palliative care, nursing professionals ‘cloak’ specialized treatment procedures with the symptoms of patients (Twycross, 2003). The main aim of palliative care is to comfort patients. Based on an article in the European Journal of Cancer Care by Gueu, et al. (2013), palliative care, reinforced with art therapy and psychotherapy for cancer patients, reduces distress and increases coping. Therefore, the article recommends that palliative care should extend far and beyond the relief of symptoms in physical care, and should integrate social, psychological, spiritual, and physical care that patients should come to terms with their impending death as fully and constructively as they can (Twycross, 2003). (b) In line with the assertions of Kissane, Barry & Butow (2011), the article recommends a lot of communication between the carers, and the patient to establish their level of comfort. According to Ferrell, Nessa & the St. Lawrence Librach (2001), end-of-life and hospice care can act as synonyms for palliative care. The rationale for this article is the improvement in the quality of life for patients and members of their family through art therapy and psychotherapy which ensures there is relief and prevention of suffering by means of an impeccable assessment, early identification, treating pain and other psychosocial, spiritual and physical problems (Ferrell, Nessa & The St. Lawrence Librach, 2001). Palliative care is not disease-focused (Fallon & Geoffrey, 2006). Rather, it is patient-centered (Foley &John, 2004). It is concerned with healing, and care rather giving curative services and depends on the partnership between the carers and the patient (Foley &John, 2004). It is about the quality of life and is rehabilitative. It seeks to help patients maintain, or achieve their maximum potentials in life, either psychologically, physically, socially, and spiritually (Aitken, 2009). The criteria for this evaluation is by administering this form of nursing practice by a group of people working as a team collectively concerned with the patient’s total well-being and that of the family (Aitken, 2009). Quality of life within this context relates to an individual’s subjective satisfaction with life and is influenced by all aspects of personhood: psychological, physical, spiritual and social aspects (Aitken, 2009). The article also acclaims that the practice of nursing care should include active treatment of stressful symptoms that are linked with advanced illnesses. Physical symptoms, pain and other spiritual and emotional distresses associated with cancer, and the burden of caregivers should be part of palliative efforts since caregivers of a patient may experience continual or increasing emotional suffering caused by awareness of inadequate prognosis (Gueu, et al., 2013). Other than art therapy, psychotherapy is also a psychological mode of intervention that can be used to help caregivers and patients to reduce suffering and to improve coping. Psychotherapy can also effectively be used to increase communication between the team concerned with the treatment of patients and the family members (Gueu, et al., 2013). The author also opines that the outpatient model of healthcare delivery should replace the traditional model to suit palliative care settings. The author also reviews clinical and conceptual issues that are associated with art therapy in the provision of palliative care, and provides the above recommendations alongside other ideas that can be employed by clinicians and the entire medical fraternity (Gueu, et al., 2013). Task 2: (a) Research utilization is a process whereby specific knowledge based on findings of a research is practically implemented. During this process, findings of a study are applied to the wider population. Nurses should use the EBP Framework to guide their strategies in using evidence to support practice the envisaged scope of change (Kleinpell, 2009). Interventions offered by art therapy and psychotherapy should offer support for both professionals and patients with cancer, and provides new methods to support the diagnosis and management of this health condition (Kleinpell, 2009). This part of the review considers the importance of utilizing art palliative health settings, the importance of arts to cancer therapy, the utilization of various art forms in relation with medication, and the influence of arts intervention methods on health providers and users. The presence of the arts therapy to healthcare helps patients to recognize innovative methods of self-expression which also serve as a means for creating interaction with. It is necessary to differentiate between the passive and active inclusion of patients that have illnesses in various art form actions. Patients may actively be included in the creative arts, involving themselves in aesthetic and artistic pursuits with the guidance of art professionals. This also implies that nursing practices should aim at inducing a specific response and therapeutic influence in healthcare professionals. The inclusion of creative arts program, as a therapeutic method, has been evaluated on 58 different psychiatric patients having varying diagnoses. The researcher evaluated the modifications in clinical symptoms and the communication difficulties of patients. Their findings indicated that the utilization of arts encouraged considerable development in all patients, and offered information on the utilization of specific creative arts programs which need to be designed and customized for patient needs. The researchers also suggested the necessity of utilizing the EBP strategy as a way to balance art therapy and conventional therapy. (b) The practices and concepts of art psychotherapy have developed both within and outside the scope of psychotherapy. Today, it has grown and rapidly expanded into a crucial field in health care. With increasing technological sophistications, art psychotherapy continues to proliferate. Therefore, to facilitate the utilization of this research within the workplace, nurses should not only execute art therapy with new and well-defined professional roles for practicing in wide array of institutions for academic research and clinical settings, but also with fresh methods and concepts. Art therapy is the springboard, and an ingredient of the professionalization of art psychotherapy (Wadeson, 2010). Evidently, art therapy is a crucial component of modern-day art psychotherapy contributing to the healing potentialities of the various psychological processes which are activated during art therapy. From the assertions of different authors, it is evident that patients in palliative care respond positively to art psychotherapy. This lends much credibility to the fact that palliative care and art psychotherapy are quite compatible, and can be a preferred model for addressing complex and emerging healthcare needs. With a more comprehensive approach, the two can deal effectively with a multiplicity of situations and patients with chronic illnesses, as well as the physical, social, spiritual, and psychological problems that come with old age. Hospital-based palliative care is a determining factor in planning for art psychotherapy. It can be part of an eclectic mix of programs for art psychotherapy among the aged, and for patients with terminal illnesses which offers a solid support system for palliative care. There are a various research studies indicating the positive influence of arts in medicine; nevertheless, less attention is paid to the comparative contribution of various art-forms. This review indicates the most important researches that analyze various music forms, various instrument forms, the utilization of live, videos and reported performances, paintings and drawings, contemporary and traditional art. The investigation of the therapeutic significance of music has defined specific forms of music which appear to develop more constant physiological influences than other forms. An interesting research study evaluated the hormonal, cardiovascular, and mental stimulation reactions of healthy participants after listening to various forms of music: Hans Werner Henze’ modern classic, Johann Strauss’ waltz, or Ravi Shankar’ meditative type of music. The researchers indicated that the waltz had a considerable influence on controlling the heart function, which meditative music influenced mental stimulation and classical music cut down the rate of some stress-connected hormones (Mockel, 1994). Therefore, it would be necessary for nurses to further investigate the connection between music type, different musical instruments and pain management. Initial musical training, music exposure, cultural behavior and personality may affect the way individuals perceives music; nevertheless, all listeners develop a particular expectation level of musical events, with effects on their dispositions or their mental states. Research studies at the University of Nottingham utilized an objective approach to quantify mood prior to and after the participants experienced a specific music piece. Every subject heard music pieces from six varying categories with earphones. The researchers grouped the different categories as energetic pop music, angry rap or heavy rock, fatigued indie, heavy rock or depressed indie, pop or tense indie and friendly music for every mood type (Smith, 1998; McCraty, 1998). The outcomes of the research indicated that each music form resulted in notable mood changes for the different participants. The type that was referred to as friendly music for every mood induced the highest positive change level. The ‘tense’ form of music induced the most undesirable mood alteration. Some music forms induced feelings of desperation and loneliness, while others resulted in happiness and eased depression. This research offers an understanding into the forms of music which may be utilized as a therapeutic support for mental health services (McCraty, 1998). It was indicated by the researchers that the various forms of music provoked subjective perceptions of relaxation, exciting or calming emotions which were capable of relating to the variability in the measuring participants heart rates. The conclusions highlight the significance of choosing the correct form of music for various medical research settings (Iwanaga, 1997). Also, there is claim that the various forms of music may influence the rate hormone rates; however these results are not decisive (McKinney, 1997). Other researchers have investigated the influence of background music by evaluating the reactions to the music’s speed and mode and the interaction between the participants. Interaction was considered to have a higher level of satisfactoriness; productivity remained unchanged by the background music (Blood, 1993). The influence of art in the form of Indian classical music played prior to and in the course of a specific medical process has been evaluated in a number of patients and the outcomes indicated a considerably amount of reduction in the anxiety and stress levels reported by the patients (Kotwal, 1998). This form of music has also remained useful for correcting sleeping disorders (Gitanjali, 1998). Another form of music, Israeli folk was effectual in managing participants with Alzheimer's disease (Silber, 1999). The possible of secular and sacred music in helping people to recall life events and inducing past emotions in the elderly has also been researched using a statistical analysis; the resulting data indicated that both music forms positively influenced participants (Lowis, 1997). (c) Ethically, art intervention and psychotherapy in palliative care should be used within a human rights based framework of nursing practice. Patients should be allowed to choose which form of art therapy and psychotherapy without being coercion. Patients may experience psychological medical conditions while receiving treatment for other physical conditions; some patients may present with healthcare needs that are totally psychological in nature. Notwithstanding the source of psychological conditions, it is important for medical professionals to identify effective methods of attending to the various psychological needs of these patients without violating their professional ethics. Task 3: (a) According to Wadeson (2010) the conceptions and the practices that govern art psychotherapy have come a long way, within the scope of psychotherapy and outside. Under Margaret Naumburg’s pioneering leadership in the 1940s, the initial framework of psychotherapy was psychoanalytic (Forman, 2003). After a detailed study of some clinical cases with an artistic expression as the springboard for interpretations of the patients, Naumburg came up with an invaluable tradition that has been one of the chief components of present-day art psychotherapy (Wadeson, 2010). Since time immemorial, most healthcare systems remained relatively isolated in specialized settings. Innovation of art therapy and psychotherapy among patients in palliative care integrated key concepts in pain and symptom control across many clinical and patient populations (Forman, 2003). As claimed by Twycross (2003), in the last few years, services in palliative care have been established in a number of countries, mainly in response to the needs of patients with incurable cancer. Certainly, this can be attributed to a considerable increase in the incidences of cancer over the last 50 years because of tobacco smoking (Twycross, 2003). Aitken (2009) acknowledges that similar developments in palliative care have been aided by the efforts of the hospice movement which placed more emphasis on care for cancer patients and other chronic illnesses. Continuous research in healthcare practice has also been expressing innovative methods for effective healthcare delivery improving patients’ wellbeing. While medications have been developed for most physical conditions of patients, there is continuous need to create methods that focus on the psychotherapeutic healthcare aspects. Understanding the role of the various potential activities for palliative care increasing the understanding of the ‘efficacy’ of this healthcare method possibly leads to an increase in its acceptability. Various research studies have indicated the possible contributory role of art therapy in palliative care (Wood, 2009). (b) The outcomes should be reviewed under a close comparison with secondary literature related to art therapy as a potential for palliative treatment, and through utilization of other primary sources which account for the possible connections between art therapy and patients’ responses to palliative treatment. (c) Post-test data indicating a considerable reduction in the way cancer patients perceive pain under palliative settings under art therapy and psychotherapy can be conveyed to the public in various forms of media which can get the attention of diverse populations. This can be associated with numerous positive responses among the people. References Aitken S. (2009).Community Palliative Care: The Role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist. United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell. Ferrell, BR, Nessa, C & the St. Lawrence Librach 2001. Textbook of Palliative Nursing (1st Edition) .USA: Oxford University Press. Fallon, M & Geoffrey, H (eds.) 2006. The ABC of Palliative Care (2nd edition). Massachusetts: BMJ Books. Foley, K &John, S (eds.) 2004.When the Focus Is on Care: Palliative Care and Cancer. New York: American Cancer Society. Gueu, et al. (2013). An art therapy intervention for cancer patients in the ambulant aftercare – Results from a non- Randomized controlled study. European Journal of Cancer Care, 22, 345–352. Kissane, D, Barry, B & Butow, P 2011. Handbook of Communication in Oncology and Palliative Care. USA: Oxford University Press. Kleinpell, R. (2009). Outcome Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing. 2nd Edition New York: Springer Publishing Company. Twycross, R 2003 Introducing Palliative Care (4 edition). United Kingdom: Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd. Wadeson, H 2010. Art Psychotherapy. New York, Wiley. Read More