Vizuāli plastiskās mākslas terapijas ietekme uz subjektīvās labklājības afektu komponenti paliatīvā aprūpē esošu bērnu aprūpētājiem

Proposed hierarchical model of subjective well-being by an American psychologist Edward Francis Diener and his colleagues (Diener et al., 2009) points out two components of subjective well-being – cognitive (satisfaction with life and satisfaction with certain areas of life) and affective (positive affect and negative affect). The subjective well-being’s affective component has been chosen as a dependent variable of this study, based on the research about significant emotional hardship of caregivers in paediatric palliative care. The aim of this master’s thesis is to verify, whether an art therapy affects the indicators of the subjective well-being’s affective components of the caregivers in paediatric palliative care and to clarify subjective opinions of the caregivers on influence of the art therapy on the affective components’ indicators of subjective well-being. 34 Latvian speaking caregivers in paediatric palliative care aged 26-55 took part in this study. Participants were divided by principle of randomization into an experimental group (n = 17) and a control group (n = 17). The participants of the experimental group were participating in 10 art therapy sessions taking place twice a week. To determine the indicators of the affect of the study participants before and after the art therapy in the experimental group, the participants of both groups filled in The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) (Watson et al., 1988). An adaptation of the survey in Latvian was carried out by A. Upmane (Upmane, 2010). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. To specify changes within the component of the subjective well-being’s affect and to obtain individual opinions on the effects of the art therapy 6 participants of the experimental group took part in a focus group interview. Content analysis was used for the focus group’s qualitative data analysis. Comparing the results of the total mean indicators of the affect for experimental and control groups, there is no evidence that statistically significant changes of the mean total indicators of the negative affect have taken place directly due to the art therapy effects, as the control group also shows a decrease in those indicators. However, the results of the study suggest, that the participation in the art therapy rouses positive emotions for the caregivers and gives them an opportunity to rest. That is demonstrated by the significant changes in certain positive and negative affect of the experimental group. These results coincide with the qualitative data results, which allows to conclude, that the art therapy is a useful intervention for caregivers in paediatric palliative care to receive a respite, a support and to improve their emotional state.