Effects of expressive arts therapy on cognitive function and depression among older adults with MCI in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk of progression to dementia. Whether it is feasible to engage this population in expressive arts therapy and yield effects on cognition and depression for older adults with MCI remained unclear. The aim of this study examined the effects of expressive arts therapy on the cognitive function and depression levels of older adults with MCI in day care centers in Taiwan. A quasi-experimental design was conducted in a sample of day care centers older adults with MCI. A total of 88 participants with MCI were assigned to the intervention or comparison group. The intervention groups participated in an expressive arts therapy for 12 weeks in addition to their daily activities. Data were collected at the baseline point and immediately after post-intervention. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the effect of the intervention on the outcomes. At week 12, findings indicated that the intervention group had significant improvement in cognitive function and depression over time than the comparison group. These findings provide evidence for the feasibility and efficacy of expressive arts therapy intervention in older adults with MCI.

Acknowledgements

Sincere appreciation is the administrators and staff of the six adult day care centers for their support and assistance, and to the 88 wonderful older adults for their generous participation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors contribution

All authors meet the criteria for authorship, have approved the final article, and all those entitled to authorship are listed as authors.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all the individual participants that were included in the study.

Ethical approval

The study protocol has been approved by the National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Ethical Review Board (Report Number: CKU-IRB-2022–285). The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its following updates.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2024.2336398.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.