Yonsei Med J.  2013 Jan;54(1):15-20. 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.1.15.

Effects of Art Therapy Using Color on Purpose in Life in Patients with Stroke and Their Caregivers

• Kim MK
• Kang SD

• KMID: 1776912
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2013.54.1.15

Abstract

PURPOSE
Patients with stroke suffer from physical disabilities, followed by mental instability. Their caregivers also suffer from mental instability. The present study attempted to address the degree and the change of the level of Purpose in Life (PIL) in patients with stroke and caregivers by applying art therapy using colors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-eight stroke patients with a good functional recovery or a moderate disability and their 28 caregivers were selected and evaluated. The period of the study between the stroke and color therapy was more than 6 months. Patients and caregivers were divided into the color therapy (28) and control groups (28). A questionnaire, which measures the level of PIL was conducted separately for patients and caregivers prior to the first session of color therapy (2 hours per week, total 16 sessions). The final examination was performed 5 months after the last color therapy session.
RESULTS
There was significant difference between before and after color therapy when the level of PIL was measured both in patients and caregivers (p<0.01). These were the same between the color therapy group, compared with the control group (p<0.01). As color therapy progressed to the late phase, patients and caregivers applied increasing number of colors and color intensity.
CONCLUSION
These results prove that color therapy will improve PIL of the patients with post-stroke disability and caregivers. Furthermore, color therapy would be a useful adjuvant for improving the quality of life of the patients with stroke and their caregivers.

Keyword

Stroke; art therapy; color; purpose in life

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Art Therapy/*methods
Caregivers
Color
Depression/therapy
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
*Quality of Life
Questionnaires
Stroke/*psychology/*rehabilitation
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The color aspect of patients with stroke (ellipse) and their caregivers' (rectangle) early phase (left) and late phase (right). The overall color intensity chosen by patients and caregivers was low and their reactions to colors and application did not vary at the early phase. As the color therapy progressed to the late phase, the color intensity and applied number of colors increased.

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