Obesity prevention: a pilot study on community workshops delivered by art therapists

ABSTRACT

Background

Overweightness, obesity, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes are prevalent and associated with additional physical and mental health problems in the US.

Aims

The primary aims were to explore the potential efficacy of six one-time psychosocial art-based community workshops for obesity and disease prevention in increasing motivation to change health and eating behaviours, and confidence in the ability to manage emotional eating. An additional aim assessed if the workshops would be positively evaluated by community participants.

Methods

This programme evaluation used a pre-test post-test one-group design to explore the effectiveness of the psychosocial art-based community workshops (N = 40). The workshop included an empirically supported drawing protocol. Hypotheses included: (1) increased motivation to change health and eating behaviours, (2) increased confidence in the ability to manage emotional eating, and (3) high workshop satisfaction.

Results

Motivation to change health and eating behaviours significantly increased, but confidence in managing emotional eating did not. Workshops received positive evaluations.

Conclusions

Participation in the psychosocial art-based community workshops inspired motivation to change health and eating behaviours.

Implications

Art therapists should consider using psychosocial art-based community workshops to generate motivation for change and prevent obesity.

Plain-language summary

There is an established connection between overweightness, obesity, pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other physical and mental health problems. Psychological, community, and art-based interventions have been shown to improve weight management and associated problems. Multidisciplinary and integrated approaches, including community, mental, and physical health fields are needed. An integrated psychosocial art-based community workshops for pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and obesity related risk prevention with a community sample of adults was developed and piloted. Motivation to change health and eating behaviours significantly increased, but confidence in managing emotional eating did not significantly change. Workshop evaluation ratings were high, suggesting positive reception of integrated workshops. Overall, results supported the workshop’s potential effectiveness in increasing motivation to change health and eating behaviours.

KEYWORDS:

• Obesity
• prediabetes
• type 2 diabetes
• art therapy interventions
• psychosocial interventions
• community interventions

Acknowledgements

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the California Mental Health Services Authority grant.

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Bokoch

Dr. Rebecca Bokoch, PsyD, is an Assistant professor for the Clinical PhD program at Alliant International University. Dr. Bokoch leads collaborative student and faculty research labs where she has published and is currently working on projects in the areas of: family systems, expressive arts therapies, school-based services, and health and resiliency-based research. Dr. Bokoch is a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical supervisor. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families, and incorporating creative therapeutic modalities. She works in a group private practice, Anchor Children and Family Counseling, and at a non-profit, Young & Healthy Pasadena, where she serves as the founding Clinical Traineeship Director for a trauma-informed school-based preventative care program in Pasadena Unified School District. Dr. Bokoch received her PsyD and MA in Couple and Family Therapy with a certificate in Infant and Preschool Mental Health from the COAMFTE-accredited program at Alliant International University, Los Angeles. She also has specialized training in Trauma-Informed Care, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindful Self-Compassion, Yoga, and Play Therapy.

Noah Hass-Cohen

Dr. Noah Hass-Cohen, PsyD is a Professor in the Couple and Family Therapy program at Alliant International University in Los Angeles CA. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and clinical psychologist who has been teaching graduate students and providing clinical services since 1999. Dr. Hass-Cohen is an internationally recognized expert on relational neuroscience art therapy approaches. In her peer-reviewed publications, and national and international keynotes, presentations and trainings, she focuses on art therapy theory and trauma treatment. Dr. Hass-Cohen and her colleagues have received the prestigious Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 2014 article of the year research award. She is the author of two books, Art Therapy & Clinical Neuroscience; and Art Therapy & the Neuroscience of Relationships, Creativity & Resiliency. Dr. Hass-Cohen is an ad hoc journal reviewer and a program development consultant for Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, Israel. Her other service activities have included providing earthquake crisis counseling in Mexico City, the development of a diversity focused conference, supervision, and mindfulness-based stress reduction and self-compassion community training. Originally from Jerusalem, Dr. Hass-Cohen has a passion for mentoring adult learners with a non-traditional educational track. She teaches online CFT courses.

Grace Fowler

Dr. Grace Fowler, PhD is currently in the clinical psychology fellowship program at Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She completed her degree at Alliant International University, including an APA-accredited internship at the Los Angeles County Jail. She has provided psychological services to adults preparing to re-enter the community after incarceration, adolescents diverting from juvenile hall, and adults in an outpatient psychiatry department. Her research has focused on adult attachment development after a history of parental separation, brief mindfulness interventions, and intervention evaluation. Dr. Fowler has also provided training on gender-affirming language to medical providers and has experience with consultation for medical residents providing brief cognitive behavioral interventions. She has also taught a lab course for MFT students, tutored students working on dissertations and other research projects, and has served as a teaching assistant for several courses, with the goal of teaching quantitative research methods and statistics.

Lisa Liu

Lisa Liu, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and Associate Professor in the Clinical PsyD program at California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, Los Angeles. She is currently the faculty coordinator of the Multicultural Community Clinical Psychology Emphasis area. Dr. Liu received her doctorate in clinical psychology from University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to teaching at Alliant, Dr. Liu worked in community mental health and university counseling settings providing mental health services and outreach to diverse communities. Dr. Liu also served as a consultant and trainer to therapists working in community mental health agencies in Los Angeles as part of an initiative to help disseminate evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy for depression. Dr. Liu's research and clinical interests include ethnic minority mental health; adjustment of immigrant children and families; impact of family and cultural context on psychopathology; racial/ethnic identity development; evidence-based treatments with diverse populations; multicultural competence; and Asian American mental health.