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Keisari S, Krueger KR, Ben-David BM, Hainselin M. New horizon in improving ageing with improvisational theatre. Age Ageing 2024; 53:afae087. [PMID: 38706392 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afae087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline, mental health and mindset factors can all affect the autonomy and well-being of older adults. As the number of older adults across the globe increases, interventions to improve well-being are urgently needed. Improvisational theatre (improv) and improv-based interventions are well-suited to address this need. Studies have shown that participation in improv-based interventions has a positive impact on mental health indicators, including depressive symptoms, well-being and social connectedness, as well as cognitive skills such as attention and memory. In addition, improv-based interventions have been beneficial for people with dementia, improving positive affect, self-esteem and communication. In this article, we describe improvisational theatre, or improv, and the reasons it has emerged from a form of spontaneous theatre that involves playfulness and creativity to an important tool to effect behavioural change in individuals and groups. We then review the literature on the effects of improv in ageing populations, with a focus on social, emotional and cognitive functioning. Finally, we make recommendations on designing improv-based interventions so that future research, using rigorous quantitative methods, larger sample sizes and randomised controlled trials, can expand the use of improv in addressing important factors related to autonomy and well-being in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoshi Keisari
- The Drama & Health Science Lab and the Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Centre, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Centre for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kristin R Krueger
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Boaz M Ben-David
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Mathieu Hainselin
- Department of Psychology, CRP-CPO, UR 7273, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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Morales-Rodríguez FM, Martínez-Ramón JP, Narváez Peláez MA, Corvasce C. Understanding School Anxiety in Italian Adolescence through an Artificial Neural Network: Influence of Social Skills and Coping Strategies. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1688. [PMID: 37892351 PMCID: PMC10605030 DOI: 10.3390/children10101688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
School anxiety depends on multiple factors that occur directly or indirectly in the teaching-learning process, such as going to the blackboard in class or reporting low grades at home. Other factors that influence school climate are social skills and coping strategies. That said, the aim of this research was to analyze the sources of school anxiety, coping strategies, and social skills in Italian secondary school students through an artificial neural network. For this purpose, a quantitative and ex post facto design was used in which the Inventory of School Anxiety (IAES), the Coping Scale for Children (EAN), and the Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Social Skills student version (EHS-A) were administered. The results showed that cognitive avoidance and behavioral avoidance coping strategies, together with the lack of social skills in students, are the variables that contributed the most to school anxiety scores in the artificial neural network. The conclusions revolve around the need to develop primary prevention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Manuel Morales-Rodríguez
- Department of Educational and Developmental Psychology, Campus of La Cartuja, Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain;
| | - Juan Pedro Martínez-Ramón
- Department of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, Campus Regional Excellence Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel Alejandro Narváez Peláez
- Department of Human Physiology and Physical and Sports Activity, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain;
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3
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Richardson AL. Hope and anxiety. Curr Opin Psychol 2023; 53:101664. [PMID: 37572550 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety-related disorders continue to be one of the most prevalent and burdensome psychiatric disorders. Research has examined resilience factors, such as hope, that can build resilience toward or mitigate the impact of anxiety disorders. The following review provides a summary of hope as a factor of resilience as well as a mechanism of change in reducing levels of anxiety. First, hope and anxiety are conceptualized as future-oriented traits. Then, hope as a source of resilience against trait anxiety is discussed. The article then discusses the moderate, indirect relationship between hope and general as well as specific forms of anxiety before providing empirical support for hope as a mechanism of change in the reduction of anxiety. Finally, considerations for future study of hope and anxiety are discussed.
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Bassis D, Rybko J, Maor R. It's never too late to improvise: The impact of theatre improvisation on elderly population. Exp Aging Res 2023; 49:83-99. [PMID: 35358023 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2022.2059208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of improvisational theater training in different settings, studies that assess its effectiveness as a means for enhancing cognitive training for older adults are scarce. This study examines the influence of short theater improvisation exercises on the cognitive flexibility of cognitively-healthy older adults, and their influence on the four core components of improvisation (i.e., spontaneity, flow, creativity, playfulness). The study also examines the correlation between an improvement in these four key agents and an improvement in cognitive flexibility among older adults. This quantitative empirical study was conducted in retirement homes and daycare centers in Israel. A total of 45 participants took part in this study, all in good physical health and with age-appropriate cognitive abilities. The participants were divided into five research groups; each group met twice a week for a one-hour improvisation session over a six-week period. The data was collected through five questionnaires that were completed at four points of time (before, during, and after the workshop). The findings did not indicate a significant effect of the improvisation exercises on the participants' cognitive flexibility, yet they did show improvement in three components of improvisation: spontaneity, flow, playfulness. As such, the findings of this study indicate that despite a normal decline in basic cognitive functioning among older adults, the beneficial effect of improvisation on cognitive flexibility might still occur through spontaneity, playfulness, and flow. In conclusion, short theater improvisation exercises could contribute to various indicators of healthy aging in various settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Bassis
- Department of Psychology, Professional School of Psychology, Sacramento, Califonia, United States
| | - Judit Rybko
- Arts, Seminar Hakibbutzim: Kibbutzim College of Education Technology and the Arts, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rotem Maor
- Education, David Yellin College of Education, Jerusalem, Israel
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Felsman P, Seifert CM, Sinco B, Himle JA. Reducing Social Anxiety and Intolerance of Uncertainty in Adolescents with Improvisational Theater. ARTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2022.101985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Vacher C, Romo L, Dereure M, Soler M, Picot MC, Purper-Ouakil D. Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy on aggressive behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and emotion dysregulation: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2022; 23:124. [PMID: 35130934 PMCID: PMC8819925 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-05996-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently associated with emotional dysregulation (ED). ED is characterized by excessive and inappropriate emotional reactions compared to social norms, uncontrolled and rapid shifts in emotion, and attention focused on emotional stimuli. Few studies have evaluated non-pharmacological interventions to improve ED in children with ADHD. The current randomized controlled trial assesses the efficacy of a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention compared with a theater-based intervention (TBI) in children with ADHD and ED. METHODS Sixty-eight 7- to 13-year-old children with ADHD and ED will be recruited and randomly assigned to the CBT or TBI group. CBT aims to reduce ED by teaching anger management strategies. TBI seeks to reduce ED by improving emotion understanding and expression through mimics and movement. In both groups, children participate in 15 1-h sessions, and parents participate in 8 sessions of a parent management program. The primary outcome measure is the change in the "Aggression" sub-score of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Secondary outcome measures include overall impairment (Children's Global Assessment Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), personality profile (Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children), executive function (Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function), quality of life (Kidscreen-27), parental stress (Parenting Stress Index, 4th edition), parental depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), and impact of child disorders on the quality of the family life (Parental Quality of Life and Developmental Disorder). DISCUSSION Children with ADHD and ED are at risk of functional impairment and poor outcomes and have specific therapeutic needs. This randomized controlled trial wants to assess non-pharmacological treatment options for this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov. NCT03176108 . Registered on June 5, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Vacher
- Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Montpellier, Service Médecine Psychologique de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Montpellier, Hérault, France. .,CLIPSYD EA-4430, UFR Sciences Psychologiques et Sciences de l'Education, Université de Nanterre, Nanterre, Hauts de Seine, France. .,INSERM U 1018, CESP, Psychiatrie du développement - Evaluer et traiter les troubles émotionnels et du neurodéveloppement (ETE-ND), Montpellier, France.
| | - L Romo
- CLIPSYD EA-4430, UFR Sciences Psychologiques et Sciences de l'Education, Université de Nanterre, Nanterre, Hauts de Seine, France.,Service de Pathologies professionnelles et de l'environnement, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Universitaire Raymond Poincaré, Garches, France
| | - M Dereure
- Unité de Recherche Clinique et Epidémiologie, Département de l'Information Médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, Hérault, France
| | - M Soler
- Unité de Recherche Clinique et Epidémiologie, Département de l'Information Médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, Hérault, France
| | - M C Picot
- Unité de Recherche Clinique et Epidémiologie, Département de l'Information Médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, Hérault, France.,Centre d'Investigation Clinique, Hôpital Saint Eloi, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, Hérault, France
| | - D Purper-Ouakil
- Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Montpellier, Service Médecine Psychologique de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Montpellier, Hérault, France.,INSERM U 1018, CESP, Psychiatrie du développement - Evaluer et traiter les troubles émotionnels et du neurodéveloppement (ETE-ND), Montpellier, France
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Sugiyama C, Koseki S, Niikawa Y, Ito D, Takahashi F, Ishikawa R. Applied Improvisation Enhances the Effects of Behavioral Activation on Symptoms of Depression and PTSD in High School Students Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Front Psychol 2021; 12:687906. [PMID: 34512446 PMCID: PMC8426506 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.687906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The education system can serve as a community-based resource to support the provision of long-term follow-up care after large-scale disasters. While school-based interventions conducted after a disaster have been confirmed to reduce symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adolescents often exhibit low treatment motivation. Traditional methods used to encourage treatment motivation include fun activities, such as applied improv (AIM). This study evaluated the intervention effects and improved motivation of an intervention program combining AIM with the behavioral activation approach (BAA). Methods Participants were 253 tenth graders, who were in fifth grade at the time the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, and 239 students were included in the analyses. Participants were divided into two groups: the BAA and AIM + BAA groups. Students in each group participated in one class-wide intervention session, which lasted 60 min. Depression, PTSD symptoms, behavioral activation, avoidance, and resilience were evaluated using psychological scales. A participant's evaluations of the intervention were confirmed using the impression sheet consisting of six items that measure comprehension, difficulty, efficacy, generalization, confirmation of a specific situation, and motivation. Results A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted using data from the psychological scale did not reveal a significant effect from the intervention program. However, the Mann-Whitney U-test, which used data from the impression sheet, showed a significant effect on comprehension (p = 0.001), generalization (p = 0.023), and motivation (p = 0.025). Conclusion This study did not confirm the effectiveness of the BAA in reducing symptoms of depression and PTSD in adolescents. Regarding treatment motivation, the AIM + BAA group reported higher motivation than the BAA group. Thus, one session of AIM may contribute to improved treatment motivation in adolescents. AIM creates a safe environment and encourages engagement and participation in interventions. Treatment motivation is an important issue in adolescent therapy, and AIM may help solve this problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chikaze Sugiyama
- Graduate School of International Studies, J. F. Oberlin University, Machida, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Koseki
- Faculty of Psychology and Education, J. F. Oberlin University, Machida, Japan
| | - Yoko Niikawa
- Graduate School of Psychology, J. F. Oberlin University, Machida, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ito
- Graduate School of Education, Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Kato, Japan
| | | | - Rie Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Psychology, J. F. Oberlin University, Machida, Japan
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Blonde M, Mortelier F, Bourdin B, Hainselin M. Teenagers Tell Better Stories After Improvisational Theater Courses. Front Psychol 2021; 12:638932. [PMID: 33796049 PMCID: PMC8008055 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.638932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Improvisational theater (improv) is a booming theatrical practice, applying in many fields (teaching, medicine or entrepreneurship). Its effects on cognitive and behavioral processes are beginning to be demonstrated, despite scientific publications that are still rare, particularly about language. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of improv on adolescent narrative skills. Twenty-seven middle school students were recruited and divided into two groups: an IMPRO group (n = 13), composed of novice and intermediate improvisers, and a CONTROL group (n = 14), composed of middle school students doing theater. The evaluation took place in two experimental times spaces 3 months apart (11 sessions). It consisted in the creation of a written narrative resulting from previously observed images. We used quantitative criteria to carry out the analysis of this story (coherence, cohesion, lexicon, and syntax), according to the methodologies of PELEA and EVALEO. We showed an effect of the improv on coherence, which suggests that the practice of improv introduces teenagers to improve the narrative skills and the planification of a story, unlike written theater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Blonde
- Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Département d'Orthophonie, Amiens, France
| | | | - Béatrice Bourdin
- CRP-CPO, UR UPJV 7273, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.,Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Département de Psychologie, Amiens, France
| | - Mathieu Hainselin
- CRP-CPO, UR UPJV 7273, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.,Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Département de Psychologie, Amiens, France
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Effects of Improvisation Training on Student Teachers’ Behavioral, Neuroendocrine, and Psychophysiological Responses during the Trier Social Stress Test. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00145-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
Teaching involves multiple performance situations, potentially causing psychosocial stress. Since the theater-based improvisation method is associated with diminished social stress, we investigated whether improvisation lessened student teachers’ stress responses using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; preparatory phase, public speech, and math task). Moreover, we studied the influence of interpersonal confidence (IC) – the belief regarding one’s capability related to effective social interactions – on stress responses.
Methods
The intervention group (n = 19) received a 7-week (17.5 h) improvisation training, preceded and followed by the TSST. We evaluated experienced stress using a self-report scale, while physiological stress was assessed before (silent 30-s waiting period) and during the TSST tasks using cardiovascular measures (heart rate, heart rate variability [HRV]), electrodermal activation, facial electromyography (f-EMG), and EEG asymmetry. Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA-axis) reactivity was assessed through repeated salivary cortisol sampling.
Results
Compared to the control group (n = 16), the intervention group exhibited less f-EMG activity before a public speech and higher HRV before the math task. The low IC intervention subgroup reported significantly less stress during the math task. The controls showed a decreased heart rate before the math task, and controls with a low IC exhibited higher HRV during the speech. Self-reported stress and cortisol levels were positively correlated during the post-TSST preparatory phase.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that improvisation training might diminish stress levels, specifically before a performance. In addition, interpersonal confidence appears to reduce stress responses. The decreased stress responses in the control group suggest adaptation through repetition.
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Schwenke D, Dshemuchadse M, Rasehorn L, Klarhölter D, Scherbaum S. Improv to Improve: The Impact of Improvisational Theater on Creativity, Acceptance, and Psychological Well-Being. JOURNAL OF CREATIVITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15401383.2020.1754987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Maja Dshemuchadse
- Fakultät Sozialwissenschaften, Hochschule Zittau-Görlitz, Gorlitz, Germany
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Romanelli A. “Like Walking Backwards” – The Challenge of Theater Improvisation Paradigm within the Psychotherapeutic Discourse – Reply to Commentaries. PSYCHOANALYTIC DIALOGUES 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/10481885.2019.1614837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Assael Romanelli
- The Potential State for Enriching Relationships; The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University
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