The Effects of Group Art Therapy on Depression and Subjective Happiness of Male Elderly Nursing Home Residents

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of group art therapy on depression and subjective happiness among male elderly residents in a nursing home. A total of 10 male participants aged 65 or older, who exhibited mild depression based on the K-GDS, were selected from an elderly nursing home in K City. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group(n=5) or the control group(n=5). The experimental group attended 12 sessions of group art therapy, excluding pre- and post-examinations, with each session lasting 60 minutes and taking place once a week. The K-GDS and OHQ were utilized as study tools, and qualitative analysis was conducted with the program steps. The results of this study, first, group art therapy was effective in reducing feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and unhappiness, which are sub-factors of depression, but did not significantly impact the cognitive decline associated with depression in elderly males residents in the nursing home. Second, group art therapy was found to be effective in improving internal happiness, external happiness, and self-regulated happiness, which are sub-factors of subjective happiness among the elderly male residents in the nursing home. Third, a qualitative analysis of the program at different stages, including the initial, mid-term I, mid-term II, and closing stages, revealed that group art therapy had a positive effect on both depression and subjective happiness among male elderly residents in the nursing home.