Art Therapy Intervention Research Articles

Creative Arts Diabetes Initiative: Group Art Therapy and Peer Support for Youth and Young Adults Transitioning From Pediatric to Adult Diabetes Care in Manitoba, Canada

Abstract Psychosocial dysfunction is common in young adults of First Nations heritage living with type 2 diabetes in Manitoba. Improved psychosocial functioning may lead to better glycemic control, self-management and health outcomes. We offered 12 weeks of facilitated art therapy within a group/peer-support environment aiming to improve psychosocial functioning. A mixed methods study (n=12) with validated pre and post measures in diabetes related emotional distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes Questionnaire), social support (MOS Social Support Survey), emotional wellbeing (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form); portfolio review and satisfaction evaluation was completed. Of those who completed the art therapy intervention, diabetes distress decreased in 57.14%. Two individuals experienced a secondary diagnosis leading to increased distress. Social support increased in 71.43% of participants. Emotional wellbeing determined by high or low levels of positive emotion/positive functioning scores were categorized. Initially, 25% scored flourishing, 41.67% moderate, and 33.33% languishing with 28.57% improving to moderate post-intervention. The number of sessions attended was important. Those attending 70% tended to have better results. Consistent attendance was an issue for ∼40%. Growth was evident in artwork and qualitative responses. The program was evaluated highly and 90% would recommend it to others. Art therapy can serve as a catalyst for improved psychosocial functioning in young adults living with type 2 diabetes suggesting the need for more holistically-orientated health delivery models.

Strengthening the Healthy Adult Self in Art Therapy: Using Schema Therapy as a Positive Psychological Intervention for People Diagnosed With Personality Disorders.

This article reviews recent theoretical contributions and studies about art therapy that attempt to capture aspects of healthy ego functioning and presents an inventory of art therapy interventions to strengthen the Healthy Adult. It discusses how art therapy can offer interventions that focus specifically and directly on the integration and growth of the whole person, and which interventions are suitable for this purpose in the treatment of people diagnosed with severe personality disorders. A link is made between the Healthy Adult as a familiar concept from Schema Therapy, and Positive Psychology, with its focus on well-being, strength and positive affect. On the basis of our present knowledge, available studies and experiences, art therapy seems promising in contributing to the development of Healthy Adult functioning. Art therapy addresses the different areas of healthy adult functioning. Specific art therapy interventions are discussed on a concrete level. Art therapy appears to offer ways to strengthen the Healthy Adult and helps people to free themselves from destructive patterns and to work on satisfying their basic needs as independent and responsibly functioning individuals in a positive connectedness with themselves and their surroundings. The strength of art therapy may be the experiential level and the appeal to the capacity to play, to flexibility, and to be creative. This makes experiences easier to reach, and developing from there into a Healthy Adult mode is possible in a manner that is more felt than thought. Creativity can be regarded as the ability of the Healthy Adult to be flexible and to find different solutions to a problem. This appeal of art therapy fits well the therapeutic goal of empowerment and well-being, which is at the heart of positive psychology. More research is needed to verify the effects and working mechanisms of art therapy interventions.

Building resilience: a pilot study of an art therapy and mindfulness group in a community learning disability team

ABSTRACTThis article describes findings from a pilot study for a new art therapy intervention designed for clients attending an Adult Learning Disability Service. The intervention consisted of an art therapy and mindfulness group for clients, for 90 min per week over an initial 6–8 week period, with the aim of improving group members’ resilience and ability to cope with difficult life experiences. Clients completed questionnaires about their experience of the group sessions and a thematic analysis was conducted to identify three main themes. The results suggest that the clients who received this intervention experienced improvements in their clinical presentation as well as in their quality of life, an increase in joy and positive wellbeing, and a decrease in low mood and social anxiety.Plain-language summaryThis paper describes an art therapy group run for adults who have learning disabilities. In the group people used mindfulness practices as well as art making and discussion. This helped people to notice and share their thoughts and feelings. The paper shows the results of a questionnaire completed by the group members. It shares group members’ comments about how they found the group and how the group helped them.

School Bullying Among Left-Behind Children: The Efficacy of Art Therapy on Reducing Bullying Victimization.

Background: Left-behind children (LBC) are becoming a widespread phenomenon and face higher risks of psychological and educational problems. Our study aimed to explore school bullying in LBC and examine the effectiveness of art therapy intervention for reducing bullying victimization affecting LBC in rural areas.Methods: A total of 603 children, including 272 LBC and 331 non-LBC, were sampled from 6 rural schools. Questionnaires regarding school life satisfaction, children's social anxiety, self-esteem, and school bullying were used to assess the psychological and school behavior status of these children. One Hundred and Eighty LBC who were victims of school bullying were then selected and randomly assigned to 3 groups to evaluate the effects of art therapy intervention. The interventions of art therapy and general counseling were conducted in 6 sessions over 3 months.Results: Our results demonstrated LBC experienced more bullying victimization than non-LBC. Left-behind boys were more likely to be bullied than left-behind girls. LBC > 12 years old, LBC whose parents are divorced, separated, or widowed, were more vulnerable to being bullied. School bullying of LBC was affected by social anxiety scores and school life satisfaction. The bullying victimization of LBC in the art therapy group was significantly improved.Conclusions: LBC suffered more school bullying than did non-LBC. Art therapy can effectively help LBC in rural primary schools to reduce their vulnerability to bullying.

Art therapy in treatment, rehabilitation, micro- and macrosocial adaptation of children with autism spectrum disorders by means of a special rehabilitation and adaptation program "Art therapy (drama therapy): 'Because You are Needed…' for children with general disorders of psychological development and other mental disorders"

For the first time, the effectiveness of art therapy (drama therapy) in children with mental disorders has been studied on substantial clinical data. Psychotherapeutic work involved certain form of drama therapy that included patients watching Moscow theaters performances and then discussing them with family and in group therapy sessions with psychologists. Researchers have developed drama therapy methods for children with mental disorders, determined indications and contraindications for this treatment. The study shows effects of art therapy on the child adaptation to the conditions of the micro-social environment, particularly on his family adaptation, formation of harmonious, supportive, rehabilitative family relations. It is noted that art therapy influences adolescent's adaptation to the conditions of the macrosocial environment, particularly his adaptation in a peer group, behavior in various situations and formation of normal behavioral patterns in different environmental conditions.

Group art therapy for the management of fear of childbirth

Background: Even though most pregnant women might have some concerns regarding the mode of delivery some women may experience a heightened fear of childbirth (FOC), which may make pregnancy a disturbing and discomforting experience for them. Clinical FOC leads to an increase in C-section demands and the ratio of C-section births. Therefore, management of FOC is essential for improving public health. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of group art therapy for the management of FOC.Methods: To understand the effectiveness of group art therapy, we designed a quantitative study. The population studied was pregnant women with subjective complaints of FOC attending an outpatient pregnancy follow-up clinic. Effectiveness of group art therapy intervention was assessed in comparison to group psychoeducation for FOC. The primary outcomes of the study were determined as Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire Version A (W-DEQ) scores below 37, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores below 14 and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores below 10 at the end of the 6th session for the art therapy group. We expected to find significant differences in the primary outcome measures between the two groups. The secondary outcome of the study was the difference between the two groups regarding the mode of actual delivery. 30 women volunteers in the third trimester of pregnancy attending a public women's hospital with moderate levels of FOC were included in the study. They were randomly distributed to 2 groups. The first group (n = 15) received six sessions of group art therapy. The second group (n = 15) received six sessions of psychoeducation for FOC.Results: By the end of the six weeks, Beck depression scale (BDS) scores, Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) scores, and W-DEQ scores decreased significantly in the art therapy group in comparison to the psychoeducation group (p < 0.001). FOC was considerably decreased in the art therapy group in relation to the control group at the end of the treatment. Most of the women (n = 12) in the art therapy group had natural deliveries while those in the psychoeducation group had C-sections (n = 10).Conclusions: Our findings suggest that art therapy is an efficient method for reducing clinical FOC and levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms in pregnant women in the final trimester. This arts therapy programme enabled these shifts in behaviour by helping women face and express their fears through their artwork (drawing) and then gain control over their fears (mandala-making, puppet-making, taking photographs and collage-making) within a secure base and an on-going social support system provided by the group structure. Group art therapy seems to be a cost-effective therapeutic approach for targeting a larger number of people in a limited time with a limited number of therapists.

The effect of art therapy on the quality of life in patients with a gynecologic cancer receiving chemotherapy

ObjectivesMost art therapy research has involved patients with malignancies other than gynecologic cancer. The current study aimed to assess the impact of an art therapy intervention on the quality of life (QOL) in patients with gynecologic cancer who were receiving chemotherapy. MethodsThis was a prospective, non-randomized, pilot study. Eligible patients had a primary or recurrent gynecologic malignancy scheduled to be treated with at least 6 cycles of chemotherapy over 18 weeks. The intervention consisted of five sessions of art therapy during the chemotherapy. Patients completed a Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire prior to starting chemotherapy, and again at completion of the fifth session. Differences between the FACT-G scores were examined by paired t-tests. An increase in the mean FACT-G score indicated an improvement in QOL. At each session, the patients completed a separate, supplemental questionnaire to subjectively rate the benefit of the session and to express their experience with the art intervention. ResultsTwenty-four patients enrolled. Eight did not complete the study, leaving 16 evaluable patients. The mean FACT-G score pre-chemotherapy was 82.3 (95% CI: 75.5, 89.2), and post-art therapy was 78.6 (95% CI: 71.7, 85.5). The mean change in QOL was −3.7 points (95% CI: −10.7, 3.2, p = 0.270). A supplemental questionnaire indicated that 15 of 16 patients felt that art therapy was beneficial at each session. ConclusionsFACT-G scores did not significantly change over the course of chemotherapy in patients with gynecologic cancers receiving art therapy. Several published studies have indicated that chemotherapy is associated with a decline in QOL. Our results suggest art therapy may help to prevent or mitigate this decline.

Preventing mental health risks in volunteers in disaster contexts: The case of the Villarrica Volcano eruption, Chile

Chile is a country that is constantly affected by natural disasters. In this article we present the results of a qualitative follow-up study with members of the Chilean Red Cross, who led the evacuation of the Pucón area after the Villarrica volcano eruption in 2015. The objectives were: to examine the experience of these volunteers throughout the evacuation; to describe their experience during a psychosocial intervention with art therapy called "Emotional Containment with Emergency Volunteers" to help them release their emotional exhaustion, and to determine the relevance of implementing psychosocial interventions with art therapy during the disaster response stage. First, we describe this art therapy intervention. Second, we present the study that included in-depth group interviews and a workshop called "Reflection on the intervention experiences after the eruption of the Villarrica volcano”, which uses art therapy techniques. The findings showed the importance of implementing psychosocial interventions with volunteers, both during the emergency and after the disaster. In this sense, the art therapy activities used allowed participants to identify and become aware of their physical and emotional levels of personal exhaustion. They also realized the importance of self-care and to take care of the other volunteers on the team. Another finding that is an emerging issue in the humanitarian organizations' work is the potential impact and stress level in volunteers during and after the response phases. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the responsibility of the organizations towards their volunteers for providing rest time, support and spaces for their emotional expression.

Evaluation of long- and short-term art therapy interventions in an integrative care setting for military service members with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury

Background: Program evaluations can serve as a doorway to research in the creative arts therapies. This study provides findings from analyses of participant feedback on short- and long- term art therapy services for military service members with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods: Data for the study included feedback surveys from 204 service members who received art therapy services as part of treatment at an integrative care setting.Results: The results indicate that long-term art therapy resulted in higher satisfaction with treatment. Art therapy helped most with developing a sense of self after injury, experiencing positive emotions, processing trauma, and reducing feelings of guilt, grief, and loss. There were no statistically significant differences in outcomes based on rank or severity of TBI, but art therapy services were found to be related to improved symptoms for service members with longer times in service.Implications: The feedback from evaluation helps identify potential areas for further research on how art therapy addresses issues of identity, time in service and experiences of emotions as a result of post-traumatic stress and TBI. Evaluation provides directions for further clinical treatment, and yields data on improving quality of care.

P14 Does art therapy make a difference? A service review to establish the feasibility of research on the efficacy of art therapy intervention in paediatric rheumatology clinics

P14 Does art therapy make a difference? A service review to establish the feasibility of research on the efficacy of art therapy intervention in paediatric rheumatology clinics

P29 Long-term art therapy intervention for a teenage girl with chronic pain and enthesitis-related JIA

P29 Long-term art therapy intervention for a teenage girl with chronic pain and enthesitis-related JIA

‘Master My Demons’: art therapy montage paintings by active-duty military service members with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress

This study involved a thematic analysis of montage paintings and of related clinical records of 240 active-duty military service members collected during their art therapy treatment for traumatic brain injury...

Visuospatial exploration and art therapy intervention in patients with Parkinson’s disease: an exploratory therapeutic protocol

Though abnormalities of visuospatial function occur in Parkinson’s disease, the impact of such deficits on functional independence and psychological wellbeing has been historically under- recognized, and effective treatments for this impairment are unknown. These symptoms can be encountered at any stage of the disease, affecting many activities of daily living, and negatively influencing mood, self-efficacy, independence, and overall quality of life. Furthermore, visuospatial dysfunction has been recently linked to gait impairment and falls, symptoms that are known to be poor prognostic factors. Here, we aim to present an original modality of neurorehabilitation designed to address visuospatial dysfunction and related symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, known as “Art Therapy”. Art creation relies on sophisticated neurologic mechanisms including shape recognition, motion perception, sensory-motor integration, abstraction, and eye-hand coordination. Furthermore, art therapy may enable subjects with disability to understand their emotions and express them through artistic creation and creative thinking, thus promoting self-awareness, relaxation, confidence and self-efficacy. The potential impact of this intervention on visuospatial dysfunction will be assessed by means of combined clinical, behavioral, gait kinematic, neuroimaging and eye tracking analyses. Potential favorable outcomes may drive further trials validating this novel paradigm of neurorehabilitation.

Art therapy and underlying fMRI brain patterns in military TBI: A case series

ABSTRACTTBI and PTSD are global issues and are often referred to as signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Art therapy can provide unique insights into military service members’ injuries and states of mind via externalisation within an art product; however, interpretation of results is complex and subjective. Advance neuroimaging tools such as resting state fMRI can be employed to demonstrate objective measures of brain structure and activity. This case series highlights two distinct patient profiles, suggesting a relationship between resting state connectivity maps and dynamic thalamic connectivity (as well as PCL-C and NSI scores and brain scars) and the corresponding visual elements of masks made during art therapy treatment. Ultimately, this study indicates a need for future research examining potential neurological changes pre- and post-art therapy treatment.

THE APPLICATION OF ART THERAPY TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH HEMODIALYSIS

Background: Depression can occur in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis and can lead to decreased quality of life, and will have a two-fold risk for the occurrence of death and hospitalization.&#x0D; Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of art therapy on the level of depression patients with hemodialysis.&#x0D; Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental method with pretest posttest with control group design. Collecting data using questionnaires of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) versions of Indonesia, which was done twice, before and after art therapy intervention. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and unpaired t-test.&#x0D; Results: The results showed that after given intervention of art therapy there were differences in the average scores of depression in the intervention group (t = 0.764; p-value = 0.000). Art therapy is a medium to expose and express the feelings, fears or perceived problem, so it can be used as an adaptive coping method in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.&#x0D; Conclusion: It is concluded that art therapy could reduce depression in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. Nurses can act as a facilitator to provide art-based therapy in order to improve the ability of psychological adaptation in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.

The Aesthetic Turn in Mental Health: Reflections on an Explorative Study into Practices in the Arts Therapies.

The paper will draw on materials from arts therapies literature and comments from expert panels to discuss some specific characteristics of the arts therapies and to investigate the role of aesthetic engagement for resilience and mental well-being. The arts increasingly find their way as interventions in mental health domains. However, explorations into the specific mechanisms that underpin the therapeutic effect of arts-based activities are still scarce. Qualitative data were collected from a thematic literature review and experts’ comments on meaningful working procedures in arts therapies. Analysis of multiple data sources revealed core themes and core procedures that occur across arts therapy modalities. This paper presents a practice informed model of arts-based methods in mental health that may serve as a conceptual frame of reference for arts therapists and as study material on the applicability of arts therapy interventions for specific mental health settings.

Art Therapy With Women With Infertility: A Mixed-Methods Multiple Case Study

This multiple case study investigated the impact of art therapy treatment on depressive symptoms in women diagnosed with infertility. A mixed-methods study design was implemented in which 13 participants each engaged in 6 individual art therapy sessions. The Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI–II) was administered before and after the 6 sessions, and each participant engaged in a postintervention interview about her experience in art therapy. The pretest and posttest data from the BDI–II were compared and the qualitative interviews were analyzed to gain further insight into the full experience. Following the intervention, the levels of depression among the participants decreased significantly. Themes that emerged from the qualitative data described in depth participants’ experiences with infertility and with art therapy.

심리적 외상 경험자에 대한 표현예술치료 개입 효과의 메타분석

이 연구는 심리적 외상 경험자에 대한 표현예술치료 개입의 메타분석을 통해 그동안 이루어진 개별 치료개입의 효과성을 객관적으로 종합하여 효과성을 검토하고, 다양한 치료 개입의 여러 변인에 따른 특성을 파악하여 효과적인 표현예술치료 개입 전략을 수립하기 위한 이론적 근거를 마련하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 2003년부터 2017년 까지 발표된 실험연구 및 유사실험연구 논문 26편으로부터 61개의 자료를 추출하여 무선효과모형(random-effect model)으로 개별 효과크기와 평균 효과크기를 산출하였으며 Meta Anova로 조절효과분석을 실행하여 각 변인별 효과크기의 차이를 분석하였다. 그 결과 심리적 외상 경험자에 대한 표현예술치료 개입은 1.43으로 매우 큰 효과크기를 나타냈었다. 또한 효과크기의 이질성이 큰 것으로 나타나 이를 변인별로 분석한 결과 이질성에 영향을 주는 요소로 개입의 종류, 외상의 종류, 연령 등의 요인이 있었고 미술치료, 반복적 외상, 성인 군에서 가장 큰 효과크기를 나타냈다.

A Pilot Study of a Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Intervention in Outpatients With Cancer.

Patients with cancer frequently experience physical and psychological distress that can worsen their quality of life. We assessed the outcomes of an 8-week mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) intervention, Walkabout: Looking In, Looking Out, on symptoms, sleep quality, health-related quality of life, sense of coherence (SOC), and spirituality in outpatients with cancer. A 1-group, pre-post intervention design with repeated measures at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Despite a small pilot sample (n = 18), we found large effect sizes and statistically significant improvements from week 1 to week 8 in depression, the comprehensibility subscale of the SOC, and each subscale of spirituality, that is, peace, meaning, and faith. There were no significant changes in physical functioning, pain, sleep, tiredness, drowsiness, nausea, and appetite. The MBAT intervention, Walkabout, seems to meet key palliative care goals including improvement in emotional well-being, comprehensibility, and meaning making among outpatients with cancer.

Experiences of Elementary School Counselors and Students in Using Reality Art Therapy to Address Chronic Conditions

Elementary school counselors are frequently called on to provide counseling services for children with chronic conditions. However, counselors’ training and professional development in this area is lacking. Myriad behavioral, social, and academic issues can result from a child’s chronic condition. This qualitative study examined elementary school counselors’ and students’ perceptions of an integrated reality therapy and art therapy intervention and revealed four themes. We discuss implications for elementary school counselors.