Nursing and complementary integrative practices in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS)

art as a strategy for the well-being of the elderly

Abstract

This article aims to explore, through the narratives of older adults, the effects of art therapy on their health. It is a qualitative and interventionist study, at the intersection of research and outreach, derived from a broader project approved by an Ethics Committee. The study was conducted over 12 months, starting in September 2022, in a Interdisciplinary Health Care Center, involving seven women with an average age of 70, all of whom were coping with chronic illness and who consented to participate in the study. Data collection tools included a semi-structured field observation questionnaire and an in-depth interview with a guiding question. The results highlighted that art therapy – through fabric painting, crochet, and vagonite embroidery workshops – fostered knowledge exchange, shared life stories, and meaningful practices among participants. These activities significantly promoted a sense of well-being, as evidenced by the stable control of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus recorded throughout the research period. Art therapy, as a promoter of ‘envelhecência’ (a concept that encompasses active and meaningful ageing), emerged as a care technology of great relevance to health.