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Sunday, November 1, 2009
Learning Objective 1: ascertain that the use of creative arts may be beneficial for patients coping with chronic illness
Learning Objective 2: suggest the therapeutic use of creative arts to patients coping with chronic illness for improving their quality of life
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of art-making as a complementary therapy by rural women coping with chronic illness. The data for this secondary analysis was from the Women to Women Project being conducted at the Montana State University College of Nursing. Participants in the study were 122 rural women diagnosed with a chronic illness living in isolated areas of Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Washington and Oregon, residing on a ranch, farm or in a small town at least 25 miles from a population center of 12,500 or more people. Eleven weeks of verbatim messages posted to an asynchronous web-based chat room were analyzed to identify and interpret common and emerging themes within their discussions about the role of art-making as a complementary therapy. Their messages included self-reported effects of art-making on pain management and quality of life. Quilting, sewing and knitting were the predominant media referenced, and participants strongly implied that their creative output, whether the expression of a previously learned skill or a practice established after the onset of chronic illness, contributed to reduced pain and increased overall well-being. The art-making in this study was a spontaneous activity that was consciously or subconsciously linked with improved well-being in the face of chronic illness. The most notable findings were references to pain and pain relief in proximity to references regarding art-making. Pain relief and increased quality of life associated with the practice of creative arts warrant further study and will facilitate the development of art interventions that could benefit individuals coping with the adverse effects of chronic illness. The next phase of this study is to investigate the effect of art-making interventions on the self-reported pain experienced by rural individuals with chronic illnesses.