The use of dramatherapy to enhance self-perception and outlooks on the future with older persons: A systematic literature review.

Abstract

The process of aging involves numerous challenges, changes, and losses, which may be detrimental to the mental health of older persons. Ageist attitudes further complicate older persons’ mental health concerns from not only an individual perspective, but also on a larger systemic scale, resulting in barriers to access adequate support. Dramatherapy may provide an alternative approach to current psychotherapy interventions, but evidence specifically detailing dramatherapy’s potential benefits relating to older persons’ self-perception and outlooks on the future warrant exploration and evaluation. Systematic review of literature using PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted December 2023 – January 2024 across seven databases and one journal. Following inclusion and exclusion criteria, sources were narrowed to a total of twelve. All relevant data was extracted and summarised providing an overview of the current research landscape in the field of dramatherapy with older persons. Although the amount of research-based literature on the subject of dramatherapy intervention with older persons is limited, a fair amount of evidence supports positive outcomes for older persons’ mental health. Particularly, participation in dramatherapy may be effective in enhancing older persons’ self-perceptions and outlooks on the future. However, a great deal of the research may not meet acceptable expectations regarding quality and robustness. Further research is necessary to substantiate current evidence before clear conclusions referring to implications and recommendations can be made to direct future research, practice, and policy.