Date of Award

Spring 5-2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

EVMS School of Health Professions

Program/Concentration

Art Therapy

Abstract

Research has shown that medical students suffer from higher levels of stress and anxiety than the general population, increasing their risk of health problems, mental illness and suicide. This study looked at the effects of visual journaling as a possible stress reduction technique. Visual journaling combines written journaling, which has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, and artmaking, which has been shown to improve mood. Five students and five staff members attending or working at Eastern Virginia Medical School participated in the research. The study consisted of an initial session, which involved participants completing pretests of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X), participating in a guided imagery visual journaling exercise, and completing a posttest of both inventories. The participants were given journals in which to work over the following 2 weeks, and then asked to return for a follow-up session where they were given a second posttest of both inventories. While the number of participants recruited was not large enough to show statistical significance, it was noted that there was a general decrease in anxiety and negative affect levels among nearly all participants from the pretest to the posttest. However, scores rebounded to nearly their baseline over the following 2 weeks. The participants enjoyed the journaling experience and felt that it improved their mood and lowered their stress levels. This study showed that visual journaling was a promising intervention for stress reduction in a medical environment; however, more research is needed to justify its implementation.

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