Primary colours : a qualitative study with persons with DS and expressing of emotions through colours

Abstract

Emotional expression can be complex for individuals with DS, especially when counselling relies heavily on verbal communication. This study explores how colour and expressive-arts methods can support emotional expression among adults with DS in Malta, aiming to investigate how creative, non-verbal modalities, specifically colour-based art activities, can facilitate self-expression, emotional awareness, and communication within a counselling context. Grounded in a person-centred and humanistic framework, and informed by the ZOR and the Expressive Therapies Continuum, the research employed a qualitative, practice-based design. The Primary Colours programme, which I created, consisted of six structured sessions incorporating collage, colour-based emotion sorting, body-scan drawings, mask-making, and reflective painting. Data were collected through observation notes, reflective journaling, and visual analysis of the three participants’ artwork to interpret how emotions were represented and expressed. Findings show that participants were able to identify and communicate emotions more clearly when offered structured, supportive, and visually engaging activities. Colour and imagery provided an accessible emotional language, while adapted tools such as the ZOR enhanced emotional understanding. This study contributes to the limited Maltese research in this area and highlights the value of expressive-arts approaches as inclusive counselling methods for clients who communicate more comfortably through non-verbal means.