DOI: 10.3390/su151612485 ISSN:

Sustainable Health and Wellness: Effectiveness of a Drama Therapy Program to Improve the Wellbeing of People Affected by Mental Health Decline

Sara Fernández-Aguayo, Margarita Pino-Juste
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Building and Construction

An increasing number of health professionals advocate for psychosocial attention as a vital part of treating mental health illnesses and not only a pharmacological intervention. Drama therapy offers a space where patients can improve socially, physically, and mentally, thus reaching a complete state of wellbeing. So, we aimed to design and evaluate a drama therapy program to develop assertiveness, quality of life, and social interaction in patients suffering from mental health decline. The study was performed under a participatory action design and a critical focus using a case study methodology that required a pretest–posttest and tracking of activities during the whole process. The results suggest that there was a rise in social interactions, an improvement in the quality of life and, significantly, assertiveness, perception of dependency, and isolation. The program improves the assertiveness of the participants and helps a person to feel less isolated and more independent. We conclude that the creation works help them to know themselves and favors their improvement.

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