Expressive textile arts and fashion-based intervention for youth with emotional distress

Abstract

Background: In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in early intervention and the avoidance of youth mental health problems. Positive emotional experiences are a fundamental aspect of the overall well-being of young people. Textile arts intervention provides early tactile experience to shape and characterize youths' emotional, relational, cognitive, and neural functioning, helping them face emotional difficulties. Purpose: The present study attempted to perform a scientific evidence-based evaluation of the beneficial effects on personal well-being and social interaction of youth with emotional distress through a mixed method randomized controlled trial (RCT) by expressive textile arts and fashion-based (ETAFB) intervention. The ETAFB intervention framework was integrated with the person-centred expressive arts theory, expressive therapies continuum (ETC), and a codesign model developed for facilitating scientific evidence-based evaluation. Methods: A randomized, single-blind study with a pretest and posttest design was conducted among youths with emotional distress. All the participants were subjected to a 4-week intervention. Pre- and post-assessments, including the Personal Wellbeing Index - School Children (PWI-SC), 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Self-Expression and Emotion Regulation in Art Therapy Scale (SERATS), and the in-depth interview were conducted. Results: This study showed positive results that support the hypothesis that after the 4-week ETAFB intervention, participants will show improved personal well-being, general health, and social interaction, as evidenced by the pre-and posttest scores of the clinical measurements and in-depth interviews employed. The findings supported that the ETAFB intervention is feasible and acceptable for youth facing emotional distress. Significance: Therefore, the ETAFB intervention needs to be designed for and applied to youth with emotional distress. This study provides the groundwork for further investigating the effect of the ETAFB intervention on the relationship between youth well-being and facilitators.