A Preliminary Study of Art Therapy in Terminal Cancer Patients

Abstract

本計畫於1997年7月1日至1998年12月30日間，在台大醫院緩和醫療病房進行臨床美術 療育，每週一至兩次共收案30名癌末病人。初步接受美術療育調查癌末病人對美觀要 求以講究、普通、無所謂各為12、13 、5名，美好回憶的表達以很具體、普通、不具 體各為11、12、 7名。由於癌末病人的虛弱程度與清醒度變化很快，對療育的成長有 明顯的影響，為增加評量的客觀性所以訪談記錄由病人自行評估療育過程，其內容有 欣賞時的專注、互動與表達、身心舒緩、生命與死亡看法的分享與媒介的接觸練習等 五項。其中美感表現以五分評量分別 為察覺、欣賞、意願做、親手做和常態創作， 療育前總平均為2. 27± 1.48分和療育後為3.57±0.77分有顯著提昇(p=0.042)。跟 隨病情的惡化與面對死亡在緩和醫療照顧下，病人更能運作自發性的潛能面對失衡生 活，從研究中揭示心靈美感的運作有助於癌末病人的照顧發展。 From Jul.1.1997 to Dec.30.1998, a total of 30 terminal cancer patients in Palliative Care Ward at National Taiwan University Hospital were recruited to evaluate a preliminary study of Art Therapy. The artwork course was conducted by a couple of therapists once or twice weekly before discharge or death. Evaluations from were designed during treatment courses to assess the therapeutic effects and mechanisms. Results were summarized as follows. First of all, we used art therapy chart to investigate their needs a sense of beauty. We observed, 12 of them had high need of pleasing to the eye, 13 of them had moderate need of pleasing to the eye, 5 of them had low need of pleasing to the eye; similar resets for good memory, 11 of them had high need of expressing good memory, 12 of them had moderate need of expressing good memory, 7 of them had low need of expressing good memory. As time progress, patients facing with worsen symptoms and conscious change, the interview and artwork would help to objectively evaluate the therapeutic effects. The evaluations of interview were attentiveness of vision, sentiment communication or expression, mental and physical symptoms as well as upgrade, to share their meaning and value of life or of death, the frequency of use art materials. For further understanding five components of therapeutic effect, i.e., perceive, appreciation, wish to draw, to do artwork personally, regular creating artwork, with a total score 5 the mean score before therapy in patients was 2.27±1.48, the score after therapy in patients was3.57 ± 0.77(P=0.042). This preliminary study revealed when terminal cancer patients in deteriorating conditions and facing the inevitable death, fine art therapy would be helpful to comfort patients to alleviate their life quality before death.