Art therapy as an adjunct treatment for schizophrenia: an ethnographic approach

Purpose For inpatients with schizophrenia, psychiatric hospitalisation may limit opportunities for meaningful activity, choice and self-expression. Although art therapy has been studied as an intervention, less is known about how inpatients experience group artmaking in Jordanian rehabilitation settings. This study aimed to explore how male inpatients experienced group art-making in a Jordanian psychiatric rehabilitation hospital, examining engagement, expression and interaction within everyday hospital life. Design/methodology/approach An ethnographic qualitative study was conducted with eight male inpatients at a psychiatric rehabilitation hospital. A psychiatric mental health nurse with specialised art therapy training facilitated eight weekly group sessions over two months. Data comprised semi-structured interviews, documented in written notes and field notes from session observations. Interview and observation notes were analysed together to develop themes. Artworks informed participants’ discussions. Findings Five themes were identified: transformation and engagement; communication enhancement; emotional transformation and sincerity; creative growth and imagination; and desire for continuity. Participants described feeling comfortable in the sessions and using drawings to discuss memories, relationships and preferences. Observations documented differences in how participants engaged, including their contributions to activities and suggestions about the session space. Participants valued the sessions as a break from ward routines and wanted them to continue. Research limitations/implications The study involved eight male inpatients at one Jordanian hospital. Interviews were documented in written notes rather than audio-recorded, and the researcher’s roles in recruitment, facilitation and interpretation may have influenced the data. The findings describe experiences during the programme; they cannot establish clinical effects or whether experiences persisted afterward. Future research should include women, other age groups and people in community settings and examine experiences of other creative activities. Practical implications Inpatient teams can offer creative sessions that allow participants to choose subjects and materials, work at their own pace and decide whether to discuss their artwork. Participants’ requests for continuity suggest that predictable access to meaningful activity matters within ward routines. Programmes should also allow participants to shape session activities and arrangements. Formal art therapy provision requires appropriately trained facilitators, supervision and attention to participants’ preferences and safety. Social implications Participants valued opportunities to share an activity, talk about memories and relationships and exercise choice within hospital life. Their accounts draw attention to the social experience of psychiatric rehabilitation, including ward monotony and the importance of being able to participate on one’s own terms. Services seeking to improve inpatient care should consider patients’ perspectives when designing everyday activities. These findings concern one hospital and should not be assumed to represent the experiences of women or people receiving community care. Originality/value The study adds an account of participants’ experiences of group artmaking within a Jordanian psychiatric rehabilitation hospital. It highlights the value participants placed on opportunities for expression, choice and shared activity in inpatient care. The findings do not establish symptom reduction or lasting clinical effects and may not transfer to women or other settings.