The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Treating Anxiety and Depression among Children Affected By HIV-Related Loss: A Study of Two Children’s Organizations in Nairobi County, Kenya
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Date
2020-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Daystar University, School of Human and Social Sciences
Abstract
Children affected by HIV-related loss go through considerable levels of physical and
psychosocial challenges which may result into psychological disorders such as
depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of
Art Therapy in treating depression and anxiety in children of ages 8-12, with HIV-
related loss in Chosen Children of Promise (CCP) and Amka Health Project (AHP), in
Nairobi County, Kenya. A quasi-experimental research design involving experimental
and control groups was conducted using 100 participants, 50 from each organization
who met the inclusion criteria. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select
the required sample size. The research instruments included social demographic
questionnaire, Children Depression Inventory (CDI), and Screen for Child Anxiety
Related Disorders (SCARED). The reliability and validity of the above instruments is
assured as studies have indicated that SCARED has good psychometric properties for
children and adolescents of different cultures and CDI has good psychometric
properties of a=.71-.94. Art Therapy (AT), specifically Tree of Life (ToL) was used to
treat Anxiety and Depression. Study findings revealed a depression prevalence of 58.1%
and an anxiety prevalence of 88.6%. The DiD estimates showed a declining trend on
depression and anxiety scores of the participants depicting a highly statistically
significant reduction in symptoms at endline (p= <0.0001), implying that Art Therapy
was effective in treating both disorders. It is recommended that organizations and
individuals dealing with children affected by HIV-related loss can offer them culturally
and developmentally appropriate evidence-based interventions in order to promote their
psychological well-being.
Description
Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology
Keywords
ART Therapy, Anxiety and Depression, HIV-Related Loss, Children Organizations, Nairobi County, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED), Children Depression Inventory (CDI), Chosen Children of Promise, Amka Health Project
Citation
Rukunga, C. K., (2020). The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Treating Anxiety and Depression among Children Affected By HIV-Related Loss: A Study of Two Children’s Organizations in Nairobi County, Kenya. Daystar University, School of Human and Social Sciences: Nairobi