Page 133 - ART FORM AND MENTAL HEALTH - Ingrid Pénzes

INTRODUCTION
The therapeutic use of the art form – the use of art materials in an art- making process resulting in an art product – is specific and unique for art therapy (Edwards, 2013; Hinz, 2009; Jones, 2005; Moon Hyland, 2010; Rubin, 2011; Schaverien, 2000, Schweizer et al., 2009). Diverse art therapy approaches fundamentally assume that the art form reflects clients’ mental health. Research of the art form in the context of art therapy observation is, however, inconclusive. Rooted in diverse art therapy approaches, there are different perspectives on how exactly mental health is represented in the art form. They vary regarding the use of the art materials and how to interpret the art-making process and the art product in terms of mental health.
In this dissertation, we investigate the role of the art form in art therapy observation and in the assessment of adult clients’ mental health. We wanted to know: 1) how art therapists with diverse theoretical perspectives observe the art form in art therapy assessment, 2) the art therapists’ perspectives on adult clients’ mental health, 3) whether there is a relationship between the art form and adult mental health, and if so, whether the art-making process or the art product, or both, are related to specific aspects of adult clients’ mental health.
We have investigated these questions in four studies.
In this chapter we will first present a summary. Then, the main findings of the studies are discussed in relation to the main questions of this research project and the art therapy body of knowledge. Finally, the methodological considerations, recommendations for further research and implications for clinical practice will be discussed.
SUMMARY
The primary reason to undertake this research was to test the fundamental assumption of art therapy: the assumed relationship between the art form and adult mental health. Literature showed several theoretical perspectives and rationales on this matter and was inconclusive, proving that research on this matter is still in its infancy. We recognized an on-going debate about the use of the art form in clinical practices of art therapy observation and assessment and its interpretation in terms of mental health. This led to the
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