Art therapy and self-image: A 5-year follow-up art therapy RCT study of women diagnosed with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE

This follow-up study on perceived self-image and psychophysical distress/psychic symptoms was based on a ranomized contolled study of art therapy on women with breast cancer.

METHOD

The aim was to examine the long-term effects of time-limited art therapy using the instruments of (SASB) and (SCL-90).

RESULTS

Three attachment clusters of the SASB showed significant changes post therapy: (cluster 1), (cluster 2), and (cluster 3). Clusters 2 and 3 continued to change in favor of the intervention group at the 5-year follow-up. There were no significant differences in the SCL-90 results between the intervention group and the control group in the follow-up study.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The art therapy intervention was both therapeutic and psycho-educative. The conclusion of this study is that approaching emotions through time-limited art therapy seems to have a long-lasting effect on the attachment behavioral system shown in the SASB model post intervention, and this effect remained 5 years later.