Reaching a UK consensus on art therapy for people with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder using the Delphi method

Some authors have suggested there is low consensus about art therapy practice for people with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.

This study used the Delphi survey method to seek consensus among UK art therapists. In the Round 1 online survey, 24 UK art therapists working with the client group provided statements describing their practice. These were analysed using content analysis along with statements from relevant art therapy literature and from 32 service users. The resulting list of 713 statements grouped into 13 themes were then sorted by a core group of five art therapists with extensive experience with the client group, producing 111 statements that were then rated by an augmented national UK panel of 30 art therapists in the Round 2 Delphi survey. Rating was according to perceived importance of each element of practice, and 80 items each reached 80% consensus as highly important. In Round 3, 11 items that reached high but not 80% consensus were re-rated by 26 of the panel of 30, and all but 2 reached 80% consensus.

The final list of 89 statements is the first UK national consensus on art therapy practice with people with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.