ERIC Number: EJ1487492
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Nov
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: 0000-00-00
"It Fostered a Greater Appreciation for My Little Corner of the World": A Feasibility Study of a Therapeutic Photography Intervention for the Well-Being of Autistic Youth
Marina Charalampopoulou1; Alaa Ibrahim1; Heather Prime1; Nicole Eddy1,2; Larissa Panetta1; Heather Brown3; Shital Desai1; Kylie Gray4; Meng-Chuan Lai5,6,7; Peter E. Langdon4,8,9; Yona Lunsky6,10; Carly McMorris2; Paul Ritvo1,6; Kate Tilleczek1; Ami Tint2; Jonathan A. Weiss1
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v29 n11 p2774-2790 2025
Research and intervention efforts for autistic people have disproportionately focused on negative mental health. This has resulted in a shortage of interventions addressing the promotion of positive emotional (hedonic) and psychological (eudaimonic) states. Therapeutic photography, which refers to self-initiated photo-taking paired with mindful reflections of the photographs, has the potential to provide an accessible and scalable approach to promote positive mental health for autistic people. This study employed a mixed-methods design to investigate the development and feasibility of a novel therapeutic photography intervention intended to promote hedonic and eudaimonic well-being among autistic youth. Forty-one autistic youth between 16 and 25 years of age were recruited. Findings indicated that therapeutic photography was a feasible intervention in terms of demand, implementation, acceptability, and practicality. There was also preliminary evidence suggesting that therapeutic photography may be a promising intervention for the promotion of different aspects of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Suggestions for future intervention adaptations to better address the needs of autistic youth are also featured.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Youth, Young Adults, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Photography, Reflection, Intervention, Mental Health, Feasibility Studies, Art Therapy
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://borealisdata.ca/dataverse/Therapeutic_Photography
Author Affiliations: 1York University, Canada; 2University of Calgary, Canada; 3University of Alberta, Canada; 4University of Birmingham, UK; 5Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Canada; 6University of Toronto, Canada; 7National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei; 8Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK; 9Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, UK; 10Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada

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