Spirituality During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Creative Arts Intervention With Photocollages for Older Adults in Italy and Israel

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine how expressions of spirituality were stimulated and reflected in an online creative arts intervention for older adults during COVID-19 lockdowns. The online process focused on the creation of digital photocollages together with narrative elements of dignity therapy. Twenty-four Israeli and Italian community-dwelling older adults aged 78–92 participated in a three-session online intervention involving the production of three photocollages. The visual and verbal data (participants’ chosen photos and photocollages, and transcripts of the sessions) were qualitatively analyzed within an abductive framework. Four themes were generated, representing the four domains of spirituality that were stimulated by and expressed in the process: (1) Connectedness with the self, (2) connectedness with others, (3) connectedness with the environment, and (4) connectedness with the transcendent. The findings show how photographs can serve as projective visual stimuli which elicit personal content through spontaneous thinking, and they reveal the multifaceted nature of spirituality, wherein each domain nourishes the others. Overall, the findings illustrate how creative arts intervention guided by the tenets of dignity therapy can contribute to the spiritual care of older adults during periods of social isolation, or to the spiritual support provided in palliative care.

Exploring Emotions Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic through Death Education: A Qualitative Study at Italian Primary Schools

“…In the realm of death education, it is crucial to distinguish between religiosity and spirituality, enabling individuals to develop their transcendental dimension while benefiting from mindfulness, resilience, and a non-fearful approach to the topic of death, regardless of religious beliefs [ 44 ]. Numerous studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of embracing the spiritual dimension as a vital tool to address illness, promote well-being, and provide compassion and empathy during periods of increased stress, distress, and anxiety [ 48 , 49 , 50 ]. Meditation has been shown to calm the mind, increase awareness, and create optimal conditions for reflection and generative thinking [ 51 ].…”

Procesos creativos y relacionales en personas mayores durante la pandemia por COVID-19: proyecto de arteterapia

“…Los autores informan de que a través del dibujo la participante pudo desarrollar su capacidad para expresar, explorar y regular sus emociones. Otros dos estudios utilizaron, de manera digital, el fotocollage (Keisari et al, 2022) y materiales textiles (Nartker, 2022). Los autores informan del papel de este tipo de herramientas como posible recurso de afrontamiento ante situaciones de crisis como la pandemia (Keisari et al, 2022), facilitando la creatividad, la expresión y el desarrollo de un propósito (Nartker, 2022).…”

“…Otros dos estudios utilizaron, de manera digital, el fotocollage (Keisari et al, 2022) y materiales textiles (Nartker, 2022). Los autores informan del papel de este tipo de herramientas como posible recurso de afrontamiento ante situaciones de crisis como la pandemia (Keisari et al, 2022), facilitando la creatividad, la expresión y el desarrollo de un propósito (Nartker, 2022). El resto de los estudios identificados en la literatura han investigado los efectos de la arteterapia en la población de edad avanzada enfocando sus intervenciones especialmente al deterioro cognitivo asociado a la edad, reportando mejoras significativas en dominios como memoria, función ejecutiva, habilidades visuoespaciales, atención (Brown et al, 2021;Lee et al, 2019;Yu et al, 2021) y bienestar psicosocial (Brown et al, 2021).…”

“…La situación vivida durante la pandemia por Covid-19 contribuyó a poner el foco en las personas mayores ya que puso de manifiesto que este grupo de población era especialmente vulnerable a la enfermedad (Gorenko et al, 2021;Sepúlveda-Loyola et al, 2020). Además, las consecuencias de las restricciones y limitaciones para prevenir el contagio y los problemas de salud ocasionados por el virus tuvieron un destacable impacto tanto en la salud psicológica como emocional, en esta población, provocando una mayor incidencia de estrés, ansiedad o depresión (Gorenko et al, 2021;Keisari et al, 2022;Sepúlveda-Loyola et al, 2020) y una sensación todavía mayor de vulnerabilidad, soledad y falta de sentido de la vida (Liu et al, 2023). Estas consecuencias se pueden solapar, en gran parte, con las características presentes en la etapa del envejecimiento que incluyen importantes transiciones, pérdidas y cambios físicos, cognitivos y emocionales.…”

Walking in Between: a Collaged Storytelling of Data Collection During the Pandemic

“…Helmick (2022) organized a series of collage-making workshops using zoom to support educators’ well-being. Keisari et al (2022) examined how spirituality was expressed by older adults in Italy and Israel during COVID-19 lockdowns through collaborative photo collage. Pybus et al (2022) engaged parents and caregivers in collaborative zine-making (a blend of texts and images) to explore their challenges and stresses living in low-income households in the United Kingdom.…”