Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT02801045

Art Therapy in Palliative Care: Study of Identification and Understanding of the Mechanisms of Change in the Patient

This study evaluates from the patient's perspective which elements of the own artistic creative process are the source of a beneficial change for him/her and how those elements influence in their end of life experience.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Psychological Stress Advanced Cancers Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Stress, Psychological Suffering

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Hospital Sant Pau

Barcelona, 08025, Spain

About this study

In previous quantitative studies about the effect of an art therapy intervention in adult cancer inpatients of the Palliative Care Unit, the investigators evidenced significant improvements in the symptom control of malaise, anxiety, depression and pain.

This study is designed to deepen the understanding of specific action mechanisms which lead to those therapeutic benefits and quality of life implications for patients with life-threatening illness in which a situation of suffering is frequently detected.

The investigators will determine from the subjective patient's experience which specific elements of the artistic creative process (including production of art and art products) may lead to changes in the symptom perception, in meaning and healing process and in the personal perspective about the end of life situation.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • advanced-cancer adult inpatients of the Palliative Care Unit
  • informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • altered cognitive function (Mini-Mental Test < 24)
  • physical decline (palliative care team's criteria) that impedes the art therapy process

Treatment and study plan

Art Therapy

Behavioral

Patient's creativity is stimulated by visual arts materials and various art therapy techniques including punctual use of music, poetry and body expression. The intervention, based on the investigators previous experience, is founded on:

  • humanistic phenomenological focus
  • transpersonal therapeutic bound
  • transdisciplinarity in the artistic approach
  • integrative-relational specialized counseling of the grief, loss and trauma aspects.

Primary outcomes

  1. Reflect Interview (RI) using audio recording.

    Time frame: After the making of a minimum of 5 art pieces, an average of 2 weeks

    An art based interview is administered and involves the patients selecting 2 significant artworks from their art therapy productions. The patient is asked by the art therapist for a narrative of how one artwork relates to the other in the context of his/her lived experience. The art therapy dialogue from the RI is transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Art therapy process from the art therapist perspective.

    Time frame: Every day of art therapy session, with an average of 2 sessions a week, over a period of 2 years.

    Detailed notes and photographical register.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Fundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jun 15, 2016
Registry last updated
Mar 24, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.