| dc.description.abstract | Research question: How do patients with borderline personality disorder experience art group therapy, both as a therapy in itself but also as part of a manualized mentalization-based treatment? Background and aims of the study: Several structured manualized treatments have been developed specifically for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), mentalization-based treatment being one of them. However, patients with BPD have issues with emotional awareness and interpersonal connection that may jeopardize the completion of such treatments. Thus, additional treatment methods are considered relevant for this patient group. One such add-on treatment is art therapy. However, not much research has been done on this topic. Some quantitative studies have indicated that art therapy may be effective for patients with BPD. Few qualitative studies have looked at the subjective experiences of the patient group in art therapy. Yet, little is known about patients’ experiences with receiving art group therapy in combination with a structured manualized treatment. The study presented here has aimed to explore how patients with BPD experience art group therapy, both as a therapy in itself and as part of a manualized mentalization-based treatment. Method: This paper is based on an independent qualitative study carried out by the two authors. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with six patients diagnosed with BPD who either attended or had attended art group therapy as a part of their treatment at a specialized outpatient clinic. The interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: Through the analysis, four meta-themes emerged: (1) “Painting/drawing can be a liberating process”, referring to the experience of the creating process in art group therapy; (2) “The image represents the inner world in a concrete manner”, reflecting the role of the artwork in therapy; (3) “A practice arena for sharing what is difficult to put into words”, concerning the way the group is perceived; and (4) “A safe environment that enables therapeutic change”, which points to the experience of art group therapy as a part of an intensive, structured therapy framework. There is understood to be a mutual interaction across the meta-themes. Conclusion: Our study indicated that art group therapy for BPD might have potential when it comes to working through traumatic experiences, gaining greater access to inner states through play and creativity, and strengthening patients’ sense of self. In combination with a manualized MBT programme, art group therapy may help patients endure the intensive treatment. It could also help them advance in their therapeutic processes by providing them with a creative space where they can express themselves through their artworks. Furthermore, indications are given for the importance of creating a safe and fair environment, both in the group and the treatment programme as a whole. | eng |