Applied Medical Informatics 2008;22(1-2):47-51.
The Role of a Movie in Treating Children and Adolescents with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Specific Phobia
Alexandru GHERMAN1,*, Elena PREDESCU2, Felicia IFTENE2, Andrei ACHIMAŞ CADARIU1
1 “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca. Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, 6 Louis Pasteur, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania.
2 “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca. Pediatric Psychiatry Department, Ospatariei Street, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania.
E-mail(s): agherman@umfcluj.ro; elenepredescu@yahoo.com
Abstract
Multimedia has become an extremely useful tool in the treatment of psychic disorders. Virtual reality programs and movies are usually used for this purpose. After 1990 cinema therapy has increasingly been used in psychological counseling and psychotherapy. This paper evaluates the opinion of specialists in child psychology regarding the use of a short movie in treating children with obsessive compulsive disorder and specific phobia. We made a short movie about an event in the life of two adolescents with psychic disorders. 123 Cluj-Napoca psychologists and psychotherapists watched the movie and filled in a questionnaire. Their answers revealed that 80% considered that this short movie could be successfully employed in treating children with psychic disorders. Most respondents considered the movie useful in desensitization or cognitive behavioral psychotherapy.
Keywords: Movie; Psychotherapy; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Phobia; Anti-stigma.