Impact of Art Therapy on Alexithymia in People With Alcohol Use Disorder (ALEXART)

Art therapy support combined with standard care for people with an alcohol use disorder coming to a day hospital for withdrawal could be beneficial compared to standard care alone because it would improve the alexithymia of these patients, helping them to better identify their feelings and / or emotions, and improve their self-confidence, their self-esteem self and their oral communication.

Alexithymia is an inability to identify and describe one's emotions associated with outward thinking. Frequently found in people with an alcohol use disorder, a true mental handicap, alexithymia has been clearly identified as a relapse factor in addictive problems related to alcohol. The ALEXART study intends to study the evolution of alexithymia in people with an alcohol use disorder hosted in an Addictology Day Hospital unit through the use of an approach non-drug that is art therapy. Our hypothesis is that art therapy can help patients with alcohol use disorders to develop a better understanding of their own behaviors, to name their emotions and feelings, and to improve their communication with others and thereby be able to choose to change their behavior.

Standard support: information on alcoholic pathology, medico-psycho-social assessment, relapse prevention program

in addition to standard treatment, art therapy treatment program: 1 session of 2 hours per week in a closed group for 10 weeks

self-questionnaire which includes 20 items and allows to measure 3 factors: Difficulty identifying feelings (TAS 1). Difficulty expressing feelings (TAS 2). Outward-oriented thinking (TAS 3).

Inclusion Criteria: Adult 18 or over Patient with an alcohol use disorder starting day hospital care in the psychiatry and addiction department of the Angers University Hospital Subjects who gave and signed informed consent to participate in the study with alexithymia (Toronto Test greater than or equal to 56) Exclusion Criteria: Non-understanding of the French language Non-affiliation to a social security scheme Major cognitive impairment Motor problems preventing walking Protective patients Pregnant or lactating women Patients under protection of justice or deprived of liberty Patients under protective supervision or guardianship