Steve Jobs Calligraphy vs iPad Calligraphy: Connecting the Dots for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Calligraphy Treatment of PTSD Children in 2008 China Earthquakes

Zhuohong Zhu, PhD1, Yan Zong, PhD2, Xiaogang Wang. MA2, Shan Tang, MA2, Tianming Zhang, MA3, Jun Chen, MS4, Huale Yin, MA3, Stewart P. Lam, MPhil5, Cecilia L. Chan, PhD6 and Henry S. Kao. PhD7.

1 Crisis Intervention Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
2 Sichuan Judicial and Police Officers Professional College, Deyang, Sichuan, China
3 Gongxing School, Mianzhu City, Sichuan, China
4 Dongqi School, Deyang City, Sichuan, China
5 Calli-Health Ltd., Hong Kong, China
6 Centre on Behavioural Health, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
7 Psychology, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan

ABSTRACT

Background: Chinese calligraphy therapy (Kao, 2006) facilitates cognitive functioning, calms down emotions and improves some clinical and conditions of children with ADHD (Kao, Hu & Cheung, 2006) and autism (Kao, Hu & Wang, 2006). Extending these findings, we applied calligraphy treatment in PTSD children from the 2008 Sichuan earthquakes in China.

Method: A total of 210 PTSD Primary 4 children, 105 boys and 105 girls, from the disaster areas participated. The treatment group consisting of 129 pupils with a mean age of 10.51 (+ / -) 1.14 years were given calligraphy training one hour per day for consecutive 30 days. The Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-13) was adopted to assess the treatment effects before and after the training course. The control group had 81 children and was similarly assessed before and after the same period without calligraphy training.

Results: A significant main effect was found for the treatment group in CRIES-13 Total Score (F=8.356, p=.000), which is qualified by a significant test x group interaction (F=3.783. p=.024). In comparison with pre-test, there was a significant decrease of Total Scores in post-test (F=21.022, p=.000) in the treatment group but not in the control group (F=.291, p=.591). In Positive Scores (Intrusion + Avoidance), the main effect reached a significant level (F=7.523, p=.001). Compared to pre-test, there was a significant decrease of Positive Scores in post-test (F=15.350. p=.000) in the experimental group but not in the control group (F=.470, p=.495).

Conclusions: These findings are highly encouraging, showing the effectiveness of calligraphy treatment of symptoms of PTSD children from the major 2008 earthquakes in China.

Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 39, 2109. (2010)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 行為醫學
• Behavioural
• Medicine
• 書法治療
• Biofeedback
• Calligraphy
• Therapy
• 生物反馈疗法
• 儿童活动行为
• 情绪调节
• 弱智儿童和痴呆病人
• 精神疾病
• 癌症
• Cancer
• 創傷後應激障礙
• Psot-Traumatic
• Stess
• Disorder
• PTSD
• ADHD
• Autism
• Emotion
• Dementia
• MR
• Psychiatric
• Disorders
• ipad
• iphone
• apple
• ipod
• health
• stress