CAET Journal
Volume 12, Issue 1, Pages 40-53
Depression is prevalent in Malaysia; however, existing interventions remain insufficient. Conservative stigma and cultural norms in Asia necessitate alternative, culturally sensitive approaches. This study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of an expressive arts intervention for individuals with depression in Asia, drawing on the theoretical overlap between the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC). A one-group pretest and post-test design involving 16 therapy sessions was conducted with ten young Malaysian adults. The results explained a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (z = –2.807, p = 0.005), supporting the efficacy of the intervention. Qualitative data revealed positive outcomes across emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioural domains. Overall, this tailored intervention offers a novel and promising approach to address mental health challenges in Asian communities.
抑郁症在马来西亚普遍存在，但现有干预措施仍显不足。亚洲社会中保守的污名与文化规范，需要探索具有文化敏感性的替代途径。本研究基于贝克抑郁量表（BDI）与表达性治疗连续体（ETC）的理论重叠，评估了针对亚洲抑郁个体的一项表达性艺术干预的初步疗效。研究采用单组前后测设计，对10名马来西亚青年进行了16次干预。结果显示抑郁症状显著减轻（z = –2.807, p = 0.005），支持了该干预的有效性。质性资料显示，参与者在情绪、认知、社交及行为层面均有积极改善。该方案为应对亚洲社区心理健康挑战提供了新颖且具潜力的途径。
Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC), Expressive art therapy, Asia, Depression, Non-verbal, Culturally sensitive intervention.
表达性治疗连续体（ETC）, 表达性艺术治疗, 亚洲, 抑郁, 非语言, 文化敏感性干预.
Received July 2026
Accepted July 2026
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
