An exploratory study of Jungian art therapy with outpatients diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of Jungian art therapy as an individual or group adjunct therapy for outpatients diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI). This qualitative research study was designed to capture a broad range of experiences of individuals with SPMI who participated in either individual or group Jungian art therapy. The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of the spontaneous art process for individuals diagnosed with SPMI and to find out if Jungian art therapy had the potential to be a positive experience for them.;The literature review explored normal and abnormal psychological development from the theoretical perspective of Carl G. Jung. In addition, the literature examined the psychological process of creating art work as it promotes mental health from a Jungian point of view. Finally, it explored the therapeutic potential of individual as well as group Jungian art therapy for individuals diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI).;The researcher conducted a five-week individual and group study of Jungian Art Therapy with six individuals aged 21 and over who had been diagnosed with SPMI, including one or more of the following disorders: Major Depressive Disorder, schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. There were two participants enrolled in the individual study and four participants enrolled in the group study. All participants were required to engage in a deep-breathing relaxation exercise before creating art work, create art work spontaneously with provided art materials, and record their art process in a journal. In addition, the group participants were required to attend weekly art therapy group sessions. The group participants were interviewed directly after the end of the study, and the individual participants were interviewed at the end of each week.;Data was collected from behavioral observations, demographic information surveys, group discussion notes, journals, completed art work and interview notes. The complete art process was analyzed and described. The following ten themes emerged from the analysis of the individual study data: the mandala motif, spirituality, growth potential, the natural world, traumatic memories, strong affect, self-awareness, self-acceptance, social/interpersonal development, and positive response to Jungian art therapy. The first nine themes seemed to be in accordance with Jungian theory. The tenth theme indicated an overall positive response to the spontaneous art process of Jungian art therapy.