title: Art therapy focus groups for children and adolescents with epilepsy.
abstract: Children with epilepsy are at risk for numerous psychological and social challenges. We hypothesized that art therapy focus groups would enhance the self-image of children and adolescents with epilepsy. Sixteen children with epilepsy, ages 7-18 years, were recruited from pediatric neurology clinics at the University of Wisconsin to participate in four art therapy sessions. Pre-group assessments included psychological screens (Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale; Childhood Attitude Toward Illness Scale; Impact of Childhood Neurologic Disability Scale) and art therapy instruments (Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale; Seizure Drawing Task; Levick Emotional and Cognitive Art Therapy Assessment). Developmental levels of drawings were significantly below age-expected standards. Following completion of focus groups, a repeat Childhood Attitude Toward Illness Scale showed no differences between pre- and post-test scores on any measure of this scale. However, subjects and parents were uniformly positive about their group experiences, suggesting a qualitative benefit from participation in art therapy focus groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA. stafstrom@neurology.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Carl E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Stafstrom
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Havlena
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Krezinski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001155:Art Therapy; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015588:Observer Variation; D012640:Seizures / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants