Manual-based Art Therapy for Adolescents With Depression

Manual-based Art Therapy for Adolescents With Depression: a Pilot Study in Child and Youth Psychiatric Clinic in Sweden

There is a need to evaluate different interventions in order to meet young people's needs of treatment. The study's goal is to find out if manual-based art therapy is a useful method for young people with depression and thus increase the availability of methods of treatment for adolescents with depression in Child and youth psychiatry in Sweden.

The aim is to investigate whether manual-based art therapy is useful as treatment for adolescents with depression by examining feasibility, acceptability and compliant to treatment. Secondary, preliminary study of adolescent depressive symptoms, quality of life and functional level is affected by the treatment.

Method: Data from youths aged 13-17 years old and their parents will be collected with questionnaires and structured interviews. Measurements are taken before and after treatment. Acceptability and feasibility will be examined by participants' presence, drop out and cancellations and also by checking the art therapists' compliance to the manual and investigate their reasons to diverge from the manual

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 13-17 year
• Depression as main diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

• high suicide risk
• ongoing psychosis
• eating disorder
• Untreated PTSD
• Patients are excluded if there is suspicion of violence, abuse, abuse in the home or other vulnerability which requires other interventions to ensure the safety.