The effectiveness of existential art therapy on locus of control, self-efficacy, and self-esteem on the mobility and cognitions of individuals diagnosed with panic disorder

The purpose of this true experimental study was to investigate the effectiveness of Existential Art therapy on locus of control, self-efficacy, and self-esteem on the mobility and cognitions of individuals diagnosed with panic disorder. A total of 13 participants completed an 8-week existential phenomenological group counseling program using an art therapy approach. Participants were members of three support groups for individuals with panic disorders.; Participants completed six instruments prior to and following completion of the group therapy sessions. The instruments included the Cognitions Questionnaire, Agoraphobic Mobility Questionnaire, Self-efficacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Belief in Personal Control, and a short demographic survey.; Three research questions were posted for the study, with associated hypotheses tested using inferential statistical analyses. A statistically significant change was found from pretest to posttest on the cognitions questionnaire, with group members having significantly lower scores on the posttest. This finding provided evidence that participation in the group sessions may have allowed the members to face some of their fears. No significant differences were found on the other psychosocial measures included in the study. No differences were found by gender or by length of time since diagnosis.; Limitations of the study included small sample size and length of treatment intervention. Further research is needed to determine if people with panic disorders could be helped from participation in group therapy programs using art therapy or other innovative approaches.