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Submissions/Wikitherapy: Bringing the Wikimedia projects into therapy settings

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Info

This is an Open submission for Wikimania 2017 that has not yet been reviewed by a member of the Programme Committee.

Submission no. P-9016
Title of the submission
Wikitherapy: Bringing the Wikimedia Projects into Therapy Settings... Patients adding value
Type of submission

Poster

Author of the submission

Mina Theofilatou (Saintfevrier)

Language of presentation

English

E-mail address

saintfevrier@gmail.com

Username

Saintfevrier

Country of origin

Greece

Affiliation, if any (organisation, company etc.)
Computer Science Teacher in Greek Public Education.
Personal homepage or blog
Abstract (up to 300 words to describe your proposal)

The Wikitherapy program was pioneered at the Argostoli Mental Health Day Center in Kefalonia, Greece. The objective was to introduce individuals with sociomental disorders to Wikipedia and three sister Wikimedia Projects (Wiktionary, Wikiquote and Commons) and encourage them to edit through two weekly sessions of two hours each over a six-month period. A total of 10 individuals participated, five on a regular and five on a “come-and-go” basis. The Wikitherapy program also included visits to places of interest in town, in order to collect material for the group project (Wikipedia article about historical local square: visits to municipal library, museum, state archives). During the program there was close collaboration with the Day Center Staff (psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker and nurse). As a whole, the well-being of the participants was improved, with progress assessed by staff and marked in development of skills, expressing emotions, taking initiatives and social interaction. The first presentation of results was at the Wikiproject Med Conference at Villa Monastero, Lake Como, Italy in June 2016. Only the most relevant details will be included in the poster: the full proposal, timeline, midpoint report and final report can be accessed at https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IEG/Wikitherapy. The poster presents a “before and after” summary of its results on the two most active participants: D.V., male, 27 and E.K., female, 35. Emphasis has been placed on the lasting effects of the program, one year after its completion. In addition, the Wikitherapy concept has been adapted successfully to a psychiatric hospital setting in Buenos Aires, Argentina by Jaluj by means of the Wikiquote at the Hospital program. keywords: sociomental disorders, Day Center, Wikimedia Commons, Wiktionary, Wikiquote

What will attendees take away from this poster?

I want to show attendees how the Wikimedia Projects can be used as tools for the disadvantaged to build skills and self-confidence, while adding value to the projects themselves. Wikitherapy can be established as an alternative therapy approach in the same way as art, drama, music (and more)... I would be thrilled to help anyone wishing to replicate the concept in his/her own setting.

Theme of presentation
  • Sister projects


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Slides or further information (optional)
Special requests
Is this Submission a Draft or Final? Final

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  1. Checkingfax (talk) 06:28, 7 August 2017 (UTC)[reply]