Representations of Attachment Security in the Bird's Nest Drawings of Clients with Substance Abuse Disorders

Denille Francis · Donna H. Kaiser · Sarah P. Deaver

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Art Therapy and Mental Health Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications Psychological Testing and Assessment

Abstract

This article presents the results of an exploratory study of the graphic indicators in drawings by patients with substance abuse disorders. The Bird's Nest Drawing (BND) (Kaiser, 1996), an assessment task previously devised to elicit pictorial representations of attachment security, was used to examine attachment patterns of a sample of volunteers (N=70) from a Veterans' Administration hospital. A group of patients with diagnosed substance abuse disorders (n=43) and a comparison group with no known history of substance abuse (n=27) completed a relationship questionnaire to establish their attachment classification, a brief demographic questionnaire, and a BND. Results showed that those with substance abuse diagnoses were more likely to have insecure attachment and used less color than those in the comparison group. In addition, those in the comparison group tended to more often use green as the dominant color. The comparison group had a higher proportion of securely attached individuals, and demographics showed that they were more likely to be married. Results of the study, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research are discussed with an emphasis on substance abuse relational patterns and the recovery process.

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References

1969Attachment and Loss 1999Art therapy : an introduction 1987Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy: Its Principles and Practice 1978Family Therapy and Evaluation Through Art 1990Creative therapies in the treatment of addictions: The art of transforming shame

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2013A Review of the Principles for Culturally Appropriate Art Therapy Assessment Tools 2007Understanding Insecure Attachment: A Study Using Children's Bird Nest Imagery 2015The Bird's Nest Drawing: A study of construct validity and interrater reliability 2006The Utility of the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale in Assessment for Substance Use Disorder 2014Revisiting the Bird's Nest Drawing assessment: Toward a global approach 2005Systematic Analysis of Art Therapy Assessment and Rating Instrument Literature 2015Effect of Art Production on Negative Mood and Anxiety for Adults in Treatment for Substance Abuse 2019The bird's nest drawing and accompanying stories in the assessment of attachment security

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