The benefits of an open art studio for patients with cancer: A mixed methods study.

Abstract

e24152 Background: Art therapy can improve quality of life (QOL) and symptoms in patients with cancer. However, prior studies have focused on time-limited interventions. At the University of California, San Francisco, the Art for Recovery Open Art Studio (OAS) allows patients with cancer to create art and discuss experiences as a group with an art therapist (C.P.) each week. Most patients participate weekly. Our research question was: What is the value of the OAS that keeps patients coming back? Methods: In April 2019, C.P. identified all 23 patients who had attended the OAS over the past three months. We excluded one due to cognitive impairment. We designed a one-time email survey with closed- and open-ended questions. We chose a survey rather than interviews to minimize burden to patients, minimize social desirability bias, and maximize time for reflection before responding. We drew upon S.B.’s formal training in survey design and C.P.’s decades of experience with the OAS for content validity. We conducted cognitive interviews with two patients for response process validity which did not result in changes. We reported closed-ended responses using descriptive statistics. We used a paired t-test to compare, retrospectively, mean QOL before attending the OAS to mean present QOL, on a five-point scale (poor to excellent). We felt a longer QOL survey could burden symptomatic patients. S.B. and C.P. independently coded open-ended responses and aligned codes through discussion. Results: Eighteen of 22 patients (82%) responded. Mean age was 54 (range 37-76). Mean duration of attendance was four years (range 10 months to 11 years), and median frequency was three times per month. All respondents found the OAS “very helpful,” and 17 of 18 (94%) felt the friendships from the OAS were “very valuable” (top of four-point scale). Mean QOL improved from 2.7 to 4.2 (p < 0.001). Coding revealed themes of self-reflection, emotional experience, artistic engagement, togetherness, and familiar surroundings as OAS benefits. Conclusions: Our study focuses on OAS elements that keep patients with cancer coming back for years. While our results align with prior studies showing improved QOL, our study additionally reveals the multifaceted benefits of experiencing the OAS longitudinally. Study limitations include small sample size, incomplete validity evidence for the survey, and social desirability bias in survey responses. Our study supports further exploration of longitudinal OAS experiences, which may provide benefits such as friendship and community that briefer art therapy interventions may lack.