Abstracts

Rationale: A psychotherapeutic field, art therapy offers patients the opportunity to engage in the creative process to assist with emotional and physical healing and growth. Psychosocial comorbidities of anxiety, fear, and mood disruption that often occur during hospitalization can be addressed by art therapy (Angheluta & Lee, 2011; Tully et al., 2011). The purpose of this poster session is to highlight recent research on how art therapy may assist those with epilepsy to express emotions related to their experience of seizures and comorbid issues through the visual metaphor, as well as assist the entire medical team in better meeting the needs of the patient. Methods: Insights gathered from several recent studies by the authors on the impact of art therapy on patients with epilepsy will be highlighted. A chart review of 195 hospitalized patients (Shella, 2018) showed that art therapy appears to be an effective method of improving mood, anxiety, and pain. Patients rated levels of mood, anxiety, and pain before and after an art therapy session at bedside. Comparisons were made between diagnostic groups including epilepsy, cancer, gastrointestinal, and surgical patients. Results of a case study to characterize the similarities and differences of the depiction of seizures on an inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit (Brown, Shella, & Pestana Knight; 2018) will be featured. Patients were asked to create a three-dimensional sculpture of their seizure experience, and comparisons were made between the artistic choices of patients diagnosed with Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) to those with Epilepsy. A current study is underway to repeat the results, as well as to test the hypothesis that visual clues within the art may offer diagnostic information through the use of a rating scale. Results: Shella (2018) showed that subgroup comparisons demonstrated significant differences in mood, anxiety and pain. Patients with epilepsy were more likely to report a decrease in anxiety as compared to other diagnostic groups after art therapy. Brown, Shella, and  Pestana Knight (2018) found differences in the way the seizure experience was depicted by patients diagnosed with Epilepsy versus PNES. Case comparisons showed differences in use of line, form, color, and space. Patients with PNES were more likely to include the emotional experience, while patients with Epilpesy focused on the physical sensations of the seizure. A follow up study is in process to determine if assessment of the sculpture by physicians blind to the diagnosis can differentiate diagnosis via a rating scale. Conclusions: Shella (2018) noted significant improvements (all p < 0.001) in mood, anxiety, and pain levels through comparison of pre and post tests.  A trend suggested that those with epilepsy showed a greater decrease in anxiety as compared to other diagnoses  (p= 0.042).  Brown, Shella, and Pestana Knight (2018) found that patients with epilepsy were more likely to include imagery of electricity, visual representation of the ictal stage, include a large variety of colors, and focus on themes of hope and resilience. Those with a PNES diagnosis were more likely to chose dark, bold colors, encapsulate (turn inward) the art materials, and focus on themes of strength and control. A current study is in place to investigate the use of a written scale, in which physicians who are blind to the diagnosis of the creator of the sculpture will rate the sculptures for specific feature, and information related to this study will be included as available. Funding: None