Creative Arts Therapies and Empirically Supported Treatments for Trauma: Differences in Treatment Preferences by Personality Type and Trauma Severity

The purpose of the following study is to explore client preferences for trauma treatment between the creative arts therapies (CATs) and empirically supported treatments (ESTs). The study considers the potential impact of demographic variables as well as personality according to Costa & McCrae’s (1992) five-factor model (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) as well as trauma exposure as indicated by the Life Events Checklist, and trauma symptom severity. This study includes a sample of 230 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 who were residents of the United states though there is a high participant attrition rate with 97 participants completing the whole survey. Using a t-test, it was determined that the sample overall preferred ESTs (Prolonged Exposure [PE] and Cognitive Processing Therapy [CPT]) over CATs (music therapy or art therapy. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine that demographic variables were not significant predictors of trauma treatment preference. Personality factors were found to be significant predictors of treatment preference with openness to experience predicting Trauma Perception and Preference (TPP) scores for Music therapy, Art therapy, and PE, agreeableness predicting TPP scores for PE, extraversion predicting TPP scores for CPT, and neuroticism scores predicting TPP scores for PE. Trauma exposure was not found to significantly predict treatment preferences. Trauma symptom severity was found to predict TPP scores for PE. Implications for research and practice are presented.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Malmsten, Robyn Nicole

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Kerr, Barbara A

• Counseling psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Music therapy
• Art Therapy
• Creative Arts Therapies
• Empirically Supported Treatments
• Personality
• Trauma

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright held by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:17613

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/39236