We Are All In This Together: Research analysis of social isolation and art therapy within retirement communities

Abstract

This research study investigated social isolation within a skilled nursing facility. It was hypothesized that through the participation in a 6-week art therapy group, residents living in a Midwest skilled nursing facility would display a decrease in social isolation. The mixed methods design implored a survey for staff members to establish the facility's understanding of social isolation and a 6-week art therapy group in which five residents participated. The participants were interviewed utilizing a pre and post-test based on a questionnaire from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) to measure their social isolation. Following the survey, participants' pre and post-test results were averaged to find statistical significance to determine the level of interpersonal interactions within each group session. Twelve questions measuring social isolation were shown to have positively increased, including social network range, ability to open up and trust friends and family, and the amount of weekly-attended activities. Two questions showed a negative increase in social isolation and the remaining questions did not show a statistical difference. Verbalizations and artwork within the art therapy groups were consistent with these positive increases. These results can further promote art therapy as a cost effective tool, which can provide a long-term collective approach aimed at proactive aging care as opposed to a short-term reactive approach. Future implications of this study include exploring correlations between the art therapy interventions and indicators for social isolation. Increasing the time spent in might also yield a more generalizable pre and post-test response pattern.