Introduction
- Cancer correlates negatively with the quality of life
- Cancer carries strong emotional burden
- 10% of the patients have anxiety (Bosman et al., 2020).
- 20% of the patients have depression (Bosman et al., 2020).
- An artistic approach contributes to patients’ well-being
Purpose Statement
- Discuss the impact of cancer on psychology
- Identify the primary stressors of the condition
- Propose an aesthetic intervention framework
- Describe the importance of aesthetics in medicine
- Project the impact of the aesthetic intervention
Target Population
• Cancer patients:
- Physical condition correlates with emotional
- Experience constant stress and psychological burden
- See a decrease in the quality of life
- Require new interventions to improve health outcomes
Cultural Considerations
- Health promotion requires cultural awareness and sensitivity
- Cultural factors affect patient perception and behavior
- Variables include race, language, culture
- Socialization patterns are essential
- Interventions should reflect patients’ values and beliefs
Artistic Intervention Design
- Eight-week guided painting art therapy
- Minimal environmental disturbance and relaxing ambiance
- Production of an artistic work
- Group discussions of the meanings behind arts
- Deeper psychological considerations develop inner peace
Intervention’s Benefits and Challenges
- Benefits:
- Promotes inner peace and psychological well-being
- Contributes to patients’ emotional literacy
- Helps practitioners understand the patient’s psychological response (Zubala et al., 2021).
- Challenges:
- Reliance on the patients’ willingness to participate
- Susceptible to functional variabilities among patients
Goal of the Intervention: Promotion of Emotional and Psychological Health among Cancer Patients
- Specific – Improvement of cancer patients’ psychological condition
- Measurable – Lower percentages of depression and anxiety
- Achievable – All minor improvements count
- Relevant – Psychological issues are topical for cancer patients
- Time-bound – The design focuses on an eight-week program
Effectiveness of the Health Promotion Intervention
- Academic evidence confirms the effectiveness
- Intervention reduces anxiety and depression in practice (Bozcuk et al., 2017)
- Similar results reported by Bosman et al. (2020)
- Patients understand their emotional issues better
- The intervention becomes useful for cancer patients
The Role of Aesthetic Knowledge in Nursing
- Aesthetic knowledge comprises symbolism
- Aesthetics enable accurate interpretations of signs
- Nurses can understand the profound issues of their patients
- Aesthetic knowledge informs complementary interventions
- Aesthetics contribute to nurses’ professional development
Conclusion
- Cancer patients experience psychological issues
- Depression and anxiety are prevalent among cancer patients
- Painting art therapy promotes emotional health
- The program guides patients toward inner peace
- Reduced emotional burden promotes better health outcomes
References
Bosman, J. T., Bood, Z. M., Scherer-Rath, M., Dörr, H., Christophe, N., Sprangers, M. A. G., & van Laarhoven, H. W. M. (2020). The effects of art therapy on anxiety, depression, and quality of life in adults with cancer: A systematic literature review. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29, 2289–2298.
Bozcuk, H., Ozcan, K., Erdogan, C., Mutlu, H., Demir, M., & Coskun, S. (2017). A comparative study of art therapy in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and improvement in quality of life by watercolor painting. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 30, 67–72.
Zubala, A., Kennell, N., & Hackett, S. (2021). Art therapy in the digital world: An integrative review of current practice and future directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1–20.