The Peculiarities in the Self-Awareness of Close Relatives Living With a Family Member With a Mental Disability During the Process of Art Therapy

Ojective: to reveal the peculiarities of self-awareness during the art therapy process of whose, who have a family member with a mental disability.Research material and methods. The study involved 4 mature women (aged 58–74) whose family member is an adult officially diagnosed with a mental disability (participation level determined according to the nature of mental and behavioural disorder). The participants attended 8 sessions of art therapy. A qualitative research strategy was chosen for data analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, as well as therapist’s notes and participants’ drawings. Verbal data (interviews and therapist’s notes) were analysed using inductive Thematic Analysis (according to V. Braun and V. Clarke), while visual data (drawings) were analysed using the Formal Elements method of art therapy.Results and Summary. The Thematic Analysis revealed that participants in the art therapy process experienced feelings of hopelessness and disappointment, anger and guilt, as well as fear. An emotionally intense encounter with the previously avoided black colour – used to express difficult, unacceptable emotions (such as hopelessness, fear, and anger) – became a meaningful symbol for the participants, allowing them to experience relief. The ongoing tension caused by taking responsibility for a family member with a mental disability, the self-image as a "broken storm," and the theme of the need to be “seen” emphasized the importance of strengthening the participants’ self-awareness.A shift in self-awareness was observed in the participants not only through emotional expression, but also in changes in behaviour, beliefs, and motivation to take care of themselves. The importance of togetherness was highlighted as essential in the creative process, metaphorically associated with warmth and oxygen for a plant. Communication with other women facing the same challenges encouraged the formation of new social connections and fostered a sense of community, bringing new goals and hope.Art therapy for those living alongside family members with mental disabilities can become a significant space for psychosocial rehabilitation, offering resources to step back from the difficulties of a close relationship, the tendency to live someone else’s life, and creating opportunities to feel and hear oneself, to recognize important psycho-emotional needs, and to seek new ways to address them.