Skip to content
1981
Volume 33, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 0263-0672
  • E-ISSN: 2157-1430

Abstract

In the dual role of therapist and researcher, working in an NHS Day Hospital with a small group of clients with moderate dementia, my question was simple, yet perplexing: What could I learn from the paradox between the joyful energy of my Dramatherapy group and the intense sadness and confusion that seemed to exist on the periphery? A qualitative, heuristic approach was the most appropriate in respect of ethics and practicality. By using vignettes – in which client names were changed – as opposed to detailed case studies, I required neither written nor ongoing verbal consent – though spoke informally about it with my clients and their carers throughout the process. I followed the six stages of heuristic research described by Clark Moustakas and gathered data using the tools and techniques recommended. I created a personal log book and collated my official session notes on 20 clients seen between January and October 2009.

Through the analysis of data, key themes arose: Fear and Stigma, Anger, and Self-Identity. This article may be most relevant to those working creatively with this client group, who find themselves confronted by a paradox of emotions, forced to confront personal fears and limitations. Whilst the need for further research is evident, my small and subjective study meets the minimal requirements of BADth’s EPB/PBE guidelines (Dokter and Winn) and could compliment larger-scale studies using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1080/02630672.2011.621262
2024-05-31
2026-04-22

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. http://www.alzheimers.org.uk London [Accessed 13 April 2011]. Alzheimer’s Society, 2011. Statistics [online].
  2. Andersen-WarrenM. (1999). Creative groupwork with elderly people: drama. Milton Keynes Speechmark.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. AnsdellG., PavlicevicM. (2001). Beginning research in the arts therapies: a practical guide London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. http://www.badth.org.uk, London British Association of Dramatherapists, BADth, 2005. Consent, code of conduct [online].
  5. BurtonA. (2009). Arts therapies research. The Lancet neurology 8, 9 784785.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. ChestonR., GillardJ., JonesK. (2003). Group psychotherapy and people with Dementia. Aging & mental health 7, 6 452461.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. CobhamP., GraybowA., MechaeilR. (2009). Towards a purposeful ending: a study exploring the impact of dramatherapy on the quality of life of people suffering from dementia. Dramatherapy 31, 2 2734.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. ColeridgeS.T. (1798). The rime of the ancient mariner (Part IV, Verse 11). (2002) Arts therapies and progressive illness: Nameless dread WallerD. East Sussex and New York: Brunner-Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Davis BastingA. (2001). God is a talking horse: dementia and the performance of self. The drama review 45, (3) (T171) 7894Copyright New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Department of Health (2009). Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy, Copyright ‘Crown’. Forewords by Johnson, A. MP & Hope, P. MP. Introduction by Banerjee, S. and Owen, J. (joint leads of the National Dementia Strategy). Based upon the findings within the Alzheimer’s Society (2008) Dementia: Out of the Shadows.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. DokterD., WinnL. (2009). Evaluating dramatherapy. EPB and PBE: a research project. Dramatherapy Spring 2009 31, 1 39.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. GorstA. (2007). Awakening from the dream of thought: research into dramatherapy and dementia. Dramatherapy 29, 2 1016.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. GraingerR. (1999). Research the arts therapies: a dramatherapist’s perspective London: Jessica Kingsley.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. GrotowskiJ. (1995). From the theatre company to art a vehicle. At work with Grotowski on physical actions RichardsT. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Grunberg-SmithA. (2000). Exploring death anxiety with older adults through developmental transformations. The arts in psychotherapy 27, 5 321331.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. HarrowA. (2005). Personality of a syndrome: dramatherapy with patients with Alzheimers disease. Dramatherapy 27, 3 1921.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. HatfieldK., McCluneN. (2001). Principles of person-centred care in music therapy. Healing arts therapies and person-centred dementia care London and New York: Jessica Kingsley.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. JohnsonR. D. (1991). The theory and technique of transformations in drama therapy. The arts in psychotherapy 18, 4 285300.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. KitwoodT. (1997). Dementia reconsidered: the person comes first Philadelphia: Open University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. LeggoC. (2008). Astonishing silence: knowing in poetry. Handbook of the arts in qualitative social science research ColeA. L., KnowlesJ. G. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage 165174.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. MoustakasC. (1990). Heuristic research: design, methodology, and applications London and New Delhi, Newbury Park: Sage.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. ParkinsonE. (2008). Developmental transformations with Alzheimer’s patients in a residential care facility. The arts in psychotherapy 35, 3 209216.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. ParliamentUK (2005). The Mental Capacity Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO) & Crown Copyright.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. PratchettT. (2008). Foreword. Dementia: out of the Shadows, commissioned and published by the Alzheimer’s Society London, NB: Research conducted by the Service Improvement and Workforce Development teams at the Mental Health Foundation. Report by T. Williamson & Preface by N. Hunt.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Queen-DoughertyH. (2001). From the heart into art: person centred art therapy. Healing arts therapies and person-centred dementia care HatfieldK., InnesA. London and New York: Jessica Kingsley.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Sela-SmithS. (2002). Heuristic research: a review and critique of Moustakas’s method. Journal of humanistic psychology 4253Published by Sage on behalf of the AHP (Association for Humanistic Psychology).
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Arts therapies and progressive illness: nameless dread WallerD. East Sussex and New York: Brunner-Routledge 2002.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. http://fineartamerica.comWhite, R., 2008. Chasm (a painting). [Accessed 28 Sep 2009].
/content/journals/10.1080/02630672.2011.621262
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test