1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This article presents a research study to explore and document a psychosocial intervention using art therapy for couples affected by AD [Alzheimer’s disease].» (p. 69)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The project was carried out in the Canadian province of Quebec. Recruitment, conducted mainly through community organizations providing services to people with AD and their families, made it possible to reach five couples […]. Participating couples lived together, and the person diagnosed with AD had to be able to actively take part in the proposed activities.» (p. 70) Participants took part in art therapy informed by integrative behavioral couple therapy.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien non directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

The findings «suggest that art therapy […] can benefit couples living with AD by facilitating a sharing of experiences and emotions. Through the playfulness and appeasement it creates, art therapy stimulates such sharing, providing the space necessary for spouses to develop a better understanding of their own situation and of the other’s. Moreover, artistic mediums are conducive to authentic self-expression. We can thus conclude that psychosocial interventions using art therapy for couples facing AD can contribute to a positive transformation in these couples’ modes of communication and relation.» (p. 76) For example, all couples «reported having rediscovered the pleasure of playing, letting themselves be carried away by their imagination and enjoying the lightness of laughter.» (p. 74) Moreover, the «study revealed the transformative power of the images created by participants. […] For instance, in our study, the attitude of some caregiving spouses evolved. This was the case [for a woman] who evolved from sympathy to empathy toward her spouse […], allowing her to take a healthier distance during conflicts. In a similar way, by expressing himself in a more spontaneous and abstract way through artistic medium, [another participant] was able to adopt, in his daily life, a position of letting go. This attitude helped make his everyday life manageable.» (p. 75)