Effectiveness of Arts-Based Therapy (ABT) in Relieving Distress and Cultivating Positive Attitude in Young Individuals with Cancer

Children in pre-adolescence stage and adolescents are at the juncture of transition budded with dreams of bright future. They are developing their identity and are full of zest. A diagnosis of a life threatening illness like cancer at such a phase of life can uproot and devastate the child and its family. The diagnosis and treatment demands can drain these patients physically and mentally. Providing psychological support during this phase becomes crucial to assist their coping. Arts-based Therapy (ABT) was used to offer psychological support to young individuals (11-22 years) undergoing cancer treatment in a tertiary cancer hospital in Mumbai. ABT was offered in group set-up for the duration of 4 months. Effects of ABT was studied among 6 participants who competed their participation of 4 months in ABT sessions. Feedback from the participants, parents and teachers reported reduction in distress, development of positive attitude, improved mindfulness, general feelings of relaxation and improvement in quality of life with ABT. The research findings support previously documented evidence of effectiveness of ABT.