title: Significance of clay art therapy for psychiatric patients admitted in a day hospital.
abstract: To understand the significance of clay art therapy for psychiatric patients admitted in a day hospital.
  
  
  
  Qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, undertaken with 16 patients in a day hospital in Londrina, in the state of Parana, Brazil, who participated in seven clay therapy sessions. Data collection took place from January to July 2012 through interviews guided by a semi structured questionnaire and the data were submitted to content analysis.
  
  
  
  Three themes emerged: Becoming familiar with clay art therapy; Feeling clay therapy; and Realizing the effect of clay therapy.
  
  
  
  The use of clay as a therapeutic method by psychiatric patients promoted creativity, self-consciousness, and benefited those who sought anxiety relief.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Educação Básica João XXIII, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aquiléia Helena
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: de Morais
authors.affiliation: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Paraná- IFPR, Brazil, simone.roecker@ifpr.edu.br.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roecker
authors.affiliation: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Paraná- IFPR, Brazil, denise.salvagioni@ifpr.edu.br.
authors.forename: Denise Albieri Jodas
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Salvagioni
authors.affiliation: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Paraná- IFPR, Brazil, gabrielle.eler@ifpr.edu.br.
authors.forename: Gabrielle Jacklin
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Eler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D001155:Art Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001938:Brazil; D000077215:Clay; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000077215:Clay