Theater for, by and with fibromyalgia patients : evaluation of emotional expression using video interpretation

• The healing function of theatre is reflected in all human cultures. Today, therapists and scientists work with psychodrama and drama therapy, often describing theatre as the art form closest to life itself.In a unique cooperation between professional actors and a dance movement therapist/pain researcher, patients with fibromyalgia have first been trained in body- and voice expression and thereafter acted out a drama onstage together with professional actors. A video interpretation technique was used to help patients interpret their own emotional expressions towards other actors and evaluate their perceived pain and self-rated health.The results of this experimental study show that the variation of emotional expression from video interpretation is dependent upon whether or not the patient acts with an actor. The intensity of emotional expression increases significantly when acting together with a professional actor. The results also show an increase in self-rated health and a decrease in pain after three months of using this theatre-based technique. A correlation between strong emotional expression and decreased pain was also observed. However, when patients did not actively participate in a theatre play, their self-estimated pain was not significantly decreased.In this study, the cross-fertilization of culture/expressive arts and health care is presented as a new resource for pain treatment. In particular there may be a link between intense emotional expressions when acting with professional actors and decreased perceptions of pain. The paper also discusses the potential therapeutic value of working with professional actors in the treatment of other pain patients. Hopefully, this “healing theatre” can contribute to developing collaboration between actors and creative art therapists and stimulate controlled studies of evidence-based science.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Cultural health

Dance/movement therapy

Emotional expression

Fibromyalgia patients

Theater related method

VIdeo interpretation

Social medicine

Socialmedicin

Vårdvetenskap

Caring Sciences

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)