The Perception of Drama Therapy For Inpatients in an Acute Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Unit
Open Access
- Author:
- Wells, Nicole Elizabeth
- Area of Honors:
- Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Andrew Justin Mowen, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Andrew Justin Mowen, Thesis Honors Advisor
Deborah Lee Kerstetter, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- drama therapy
inpatient geriatric psychiatry
benefits
treatment
drama therapist
recreation therapy
survey
phone interview - Abstract:
- Quality of life is a goal that geriatric care providers are striving for with their patients. Psychiatric illnesses such as dementia, mood disorders, and thought disorders can heavily affect a person’s quality of life. Luckily, there are many ways that care providers can address these illnesses, including medications and different types of therapies. One therapy that is underutilized is drama therapy. There has been research on drama therapy and the effects it has on the different illnesses of elderly patients. However, there is little research being done on geriatric psychiatry patients in an acute care facility such as a hospital. The purpose of this study was to address why drama therapy is not being used more often in acute care facilities. In my research I asked health care professionals (i.e. therapists, nurses, and social workers) who work with inpatient geriatric psychiatry patients what their opinions are of drama therapy for this specific population. Study findings will assist drama therapists and geriatric psych units to better understand the potential that drama therapy has in these settings and the potential barriers to incorporating drama therapy as a treatment. The results suggest that most health care professionals believe drama therapy would be a beneficial intervention for geriatric psych patients. They perceived the barriers to be lack of awareness, concern for how it would work given the population, and money. The results also suggest that using education such as in-services and drama therapists presenting at conferences will help to spread awareness of the benefits of drama therapy.