Exploring The Integration Of Drama Therapy With Neurorehabilitation For Psychosocial And Functional Outcomes A Pilot Study

Background Neurological disorders frequently impair emotional expression, social interaction and psychological wellbeing dimensions inadequately addressed by conventional rehabilitation protocols alone. Drama therapy an action oriented expressive modality employing theatrical techniques offers a complementary approach to address these psychosocial dimensions during neurological recovery. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of structured drama therapy as an adjunctive intervention alongside conventional neuro rehabilitation in improving psychosocial and functional outcomes in individuals with acquired neurological conditions. Methods A Pilot pretest and posttest design was conducted with 7 participants (mean age 45.3 years) with hemiplegia and paraplegia. Participants received 6 weeks of drama therapy (three 60 minute sessions weekly) alongside conventional physiotherapy. Primary outcomes included perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale), insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index), group cohesion (Group Climate Questionnaire) and quality of life (Short Form 36 Health Survey). Analysis employed paired t tests and descriptive statistics. Results Significant improvements were observed in perceived stress (t = 3.38, p = 0.013), depression (t = 2.52, p = 0.045), self-esteem (t = 8.72, p < .001), Physical Component Summary (t = 6.50, p = 0.0007) and Mental Component Summary of quality of life (t = 17.43, p < .0001). Group engagement significantly increased (t = − 7.25, p < .01) and conflict decreased (t = 3.10, p < .05). Anxiety (t = 1.00, p = 0.356) and insomnia severity (p > 0.05) showed no significant change. Conclusion Drama therapy demonstrated efficacy in reducing core psychological distress and improving self-esteem and quality of life when integrated with standard neuro rehabilitation. These findings support the integration of expressive creative modalities to address the holistic recovery needs of individuals with neurological conditions. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted to establish definitively the specific mechanisms and long term sustainability of drama therapy benefits.