Mindfulness based art therapy approach for seniors: need analysis
ENCOVID-19 pandemic has had a negative influence impact on the health, both physical and mental of the older population. Seniors were more likely to get anxiety, depression, a feeling of loneliness, and experiencing other mental issues. At the same time, one of the ways to deal with negative effects on mental health is mindfulness practice and a comparatively new approach Mindfulness Based Art Therapy (MBAT), which could be very beneficiary for older adults. The study aimed to determine the most common mental health problems among seniors in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to cope with these problems, as well as to reveal challenges in MBAT application. 33 adult educators were interviewed (in total 8 focus groups) across the six countries. Results analysis was performed using the thematic analysis method. Research results have shown that MBAT as a therapeutic approach in only gaining familiarity among seniors, however, is not very common. Moreover, the role of the adult educator is crucial in this process since they are intermediaries between the popularity of different meditative practices and seniors. Keywords: Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy, mental health of seniors, COVID-19.
