Drama Therapy and Eating Disorders: A Historical Perspective and an Overview of a Bolognese Project for Adolescents

OBJECTIVES: The authors present a description of a theater workshop ("Metamorphosis Project"), developed at the Bologna Eating Disorders Center. DESIGN: The workshops are aimed at young, hospitalized patients, and are largely based on the principles of drama therapy. In this article, this therapeutic modality is introduced by a discussion of the theoretical basis for the use of theater in psychiatry from the points of view of several preeminent psychiatrists, including Freud, Winnicott, Klein, and Moreno. RESULTS: Three (3) clinical reports are presented. The satisfaction rate among the first groups of participants was 93%. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that theater can be useful in decreasing defense mechanisms, allowing a patient-focused approach, mitigating specific symptoms, and improving the quality of life during the hospital stay.