Assessing Drama Therapy as an Intervention for Recovering Substance Users: A Systematic Review

• Published date: 01 July 2019
• Author: Jessica Leather,Stephanie Kewley
• Date: 01 July 2019
• DOI: 10.1177/0022042619845845
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042619845845

Journal of Drug Issues

2019, Vol. 49(3) 545 –558

© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1177/0022042619845845

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Article

Assessing Drama Therapy as

an Intervention for Recovering

Substance Users: A Systematic

Review

Jessica Leather1 and Stephanie Kewley1

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the quality and efficacy of drama therapy

interventions used to support and promote the recovery process in substance users. Seven

databases plus two journals were searched; three studies met the inclusion criteria. It was found

that drama therapy interventions commonly consist of expressive activities such as role-play

and improvisation, along with group reflection to improve communication skills, emotional

awareness, and metacognition. Findings were encouraging with two studies reporting that

participants maintained or improved abstinence goals, quality of life was reported to be

significantly higher postintervention compared with the control group (one study), and social

and occupational engagement significantly improved postintervention and was maintained at

a 6-week follow-up (one study). These results, however, should be interpreted with caution.

Methodological inadequacies and the small number of published studies available make it

difficult to determine with confidence the efficacy of these interventions.

Keywords

drama therapy, recovery, addiction, substance use, systematic review

Introduction

Problematic substance use across the United Kingdom is a serious public health concern; it

affects individuals, their families, the communities, and wider society. Substance misuse is often

associated with other issues including psychiatric illness (Lai, Cleary, Sitharthan, & Hunt, 2015),

trauma (Head et al., 2016), criminality or antisocial behavior (Walters, 2014), and homelessness

(Fazel, Geddes, & Kushel, 2014). Alcohol misuse is known to be the key risk factor related to

premature death, illness, and disability, and although hospital admissions for drug-related mental

and behavioral disorders in England are falling, deaths related to drug misuse are at their highest

since records began in 1993 (Burkinshaw et al., 2017).

An estimated 280,000 people contacted drug and alcohol services in 2016/2017, 21% accessed

while living in a secure setting, while the large majority accessed help through community ser-

vices (Public Health England, 2017). However, only half of clients referred to treatment

1Liverpool John Moores University, UK

Corresponding Author:

Stephanie Kewley, Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3

3AF, UK.

Email: s.kewley@ljmu.ac.uk

845845JODXXX10.1177/0022042619845845Journal of Drug IssuesLeather and Kewley

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