TEXTILE ARTS AS A COPING MECHANISM FOR AN ADOLESCENT WHO HAS EXPERIENCED LIFE STRESSORS

Abstract

The current case study explores how textile arts can be used as a coping mechanism for an adolescent who has experienced life stressors, including a chronic illness and repeated hospitalizations. The adolescent participant was recruited from James and Connie Maynard Children's Hospital in Greenville, NC. Three one-hour sessions were conducted in which the principle investigator taught the participant how to knit. Data were collected from a demographic survey, an open-ended questions interview, and the interactions/conversations that took place during the three knitting sessions. For the participant, knitting was a distraction from hospitalization which typically comprises of pain, boredom, and loneliness. Additionally, learning to knit was also a doorway to conversation, and the beginnings to building a trusting relationship. Finally, knitting provided a means for the patient to experience positive emotions such as increased motivation, creativity, excitement, and satisfaction. Though further research is necessary in this field of study, findings indicate that knitting by an adolescent experiencing stress can be a catalyst for positive emotions, relationship building, and sharing skills with others.