Effects of Drama Therapy on Depressive Symptoms, Attention, and Quality of Life in Patients With Dementia

Background The prevalence of dementia in Taiwan continues to rise, and related patient care is becoming challenging for family members and caregivers. Nondrug treatments are often used as a care strategy to alleviate the behaviors associated with worsening dementia. Many international researchers have examined the effectiveness of drama therapy on dementia care. However, there is a lack of related studies in Taiwan. Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the effects of drama therapy in terms of improving depressive symptoms, attention, and quality of life in patients with senile dementia. Methods A two-group pretest-and-posttest design was employed in this randomized controlled trial. Cluster sampling was employed at four dementia daycare centers in central Taiwan. Two centers were randomly assigned to the experimental group, and the other two centers were assigned to the control group. Results Forty-two patients with dementia (23 in the experimental group and 19 in the control group) participated in this study. The study results showed that, after 8 weeks of drama therapy, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in depressive symptoms (beta = -5.07, p < .001), attention (beta = 5.86, p < .001), and quality of life (beta = -6.08, p < .001). Furthermore, after 12 weeks of drama therapy, the experimental group continued to show a significant improvement in depressive symptoms (beta = -4.65, p < .01), attention (beta = 6.76, p < .001), and quality of life (beta = -4.94, p < .01). Conclusions On the basis of the results of this study, patients with senile dementia who participate in 8- and 12-week drama therapy programs significantly improved in terms of depressive symptoms, attention, and quality of life. The authors hope that the findings of this study provide a reference for the intervention method, content, frequency, and timing of drama therapy in patients with dementia.