Mari Card Test: Profile of the Cardiac Patient
Graduation Date
Fall 1994
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Degree Granting Institution
Notre Dame de Namur University
Program Name
Art Therapy
Abstract
Coronary heart disease kills 500,00 Americans yearly. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether mandala images (using the Mari Card Test) help to assess recurring patterns in patients with known coronary heart disease (CHD), as well as assessing signs of acute anxiety, depression and denial. A correlational and comparative study was conducted using known cardiac patients in various degrees of recovery from cardiac events at a hospital in Santa Cruz, CA, with healthy controls from the same area. All subjects created a mandala first, than were given the Mari Card Test. While statistically inconclusive due to the small sample size, marked differences were noted between the CHD group and the control group. Accordingly, further research would be of value if conclusive evidence could result in could result in timely intervention for patients who are at risk for unsatisfactory recovery.