Effect of calligraphy training on hyperarousal symptoms for childhood survivors of the 2008 China earthquakes

Abstract

BackgroundThis study investigated the treatment effects of calligraphy therapy on childhood survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquakes in the People’s Republic of China.MethodsIn experiment 1, 129 children participated in a 30-day calligraphic training, and 81 children were controls. The Children’s Revised Impact of Event Scale was adopted to assess behavioral effects. Experiment 2 involved 41 treatment subjects and 39 controls, with the same procedure as in experiment 1 except that salivary cortisol level was also measured as a physiological indicator.ResultsAfter 30 days of calligraphy treatment, the arousal symptoms and salivary cortisol levels in the experimental group decreased from 5.72±0.31 and 13.34±2.88 to 4.98±0.31 and 9.99±2.81, respectively. In the control group, there was not a significant decrease from pretest to post-test. In addition, the arousal scores in posttest (4.98±4.39) were significantly lower than midtest (5.71±4.14) for girls; in contrast, for boys, posttest (4.90±4.24) showed little change compared with midtest (5.04±4.36), but both were significantly lower than pretest (6.42±4.59).ConclusionsCalligraphy therapy was effective in reducing hyperarousal symptoms among child survivors.

HRV Regulation by Calligraphic Finger-writing and Guqin Music: A Pilot Case Study

“…In line with previous studies in which HRV is positively associated with stress decrease (Chalmers et al, 2014;Kim et al, 2018), anxiety reduction (Dong et al, 2006) as well as PTSD hyperarousal decrease (Zhu et al, 2014) reviewed in previous sections, we believe that the significant increase in high HRV coherence induced by calligraphic finger writing on the touch screen of the smartphone plus Guqin music listening can exert a curative and effective treatment for the emotional conditions of stress and anxiety.…”

“…The theoretical bases for calligraphy writing by brush are threefold (Kao, 2000;Zhu et al, 2014). First is the sensory feedback: the individual receives sensory feedback from the graphic record while practicing calligraphy.…”

“…Second is the bioemotional feedback: the calligraphy involves the movement of the arms and the body as the guide to regulate their movements. Finally, the cognitive feedback: the subjective experiences of heightened attention, alertness, and quickened responses during the writing acts (Xu et al, 2013;Zhu et al, 2014). Our past research has been guided by these measures of brush handwriting.…”

“…In addition, other clinical areas of CCH treatment include (1) Chinese cancer (nasopharyngeal carcinoma) patients with CCH training who demonstrated gradually lowered systolic blood pressure and respiration rate at pre-and posttreatment measures as the intervention proceeded, as well as elevated level of concentration and reduced mood disturbance (Yang, Li, Hong, & Kao, 2010); (2) our CCH training of post-earthquake PTSD children, which led to significant decrease in hyperarousal symptoms and salivary cortisol levels among the child survivors (Zhu et al, 2014); and (3) that CCH training plus Wenlafaxine drugs, which yielded better effects in treating patients of anxiety disorder that were measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale (Dong, Jia, Wang, Cui, & Zhang, 2006). These results provide encouraging evidence on the strength of CCH intervention toward reducing certain neuropsychiatric symptoms and conditions (Chu, Huang, & Ouyang, 2018;Wagner, 2018).…”

Long-term Chinese calligraphic handwriting reshapes the posterior cingulate cortex: A VBM study

“…CCH is quite different from regular handwriting with a common pen or pencil. CCH is believed to integrate the mind and body into writing the Chinese characters [1]. It emphasizes the control of the brush, revealing strength without flaunting it and expressing inner psyche through the movements of the brush.…”