Art Therapy Sessions Research Articles

Clay in Art Therapy: A Case Report of a Sexually Abused Child

Contemporary art therapy has focused little on the healing potential of using clay with children that have experienced sexual abuse. In this case report, I provide a brief introduction of a 12-year-old male followed by a discussion of his clay sculptures made in group art therapy sessions over a two-week period during an inpatient psychiatric stay. The tactile and sensorimotor activity of working with clay provided trauma informed benefits such as focusing on the present-moment experience, safely developing somatic awareness, and cultivating self-regulator capacity. Additionally, the client’s life-like clay objects permitted him the opportunity to create personalized imagery that symbolized his unconscious processes and life experiences and was a key step toward successful transference and artistic sublimation.

Medical materials as a therapeutic tool in art therapy

Using medical materials as an art therapy tool for hospitalized youth is a growing trend in paediatric care. This approach recognizes that young people’s hospital experiences can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. However, tools to help them regain control and engage in their care can positively affect their well-being. This article explores a brief (one-session) art therapy process aimed at helping restore a sense of control and safety for youth (3–18 years) in an in-hospital school setting. It describes symbolic art-making with medical materials during brief art therapy sessions using four techniques – self-portraits, therapeutic dolls, animal forms and ‘magic wands’ – and offers illustrative examples of the author’s art created in response to/mirroring of her young patients. Although more research is needed to prove its effectiveness, the described process appears therapeutic, providing positive coping strategies, decreasing anxiety and stress and enhancing the overall hospital experience for hospitalized young people.

The effect of group art therapy on the stress coping ability of Chinese international students in South Korea: using the person-in-the-rain test.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group therapy on the stress coping skills of Chinese students in Korea using a pre-test post-test control group design. Thirty participants were randomly placed into an experimental group (EG; n = 15) and a control group (CG; n = 15). The EG completed eight 120-min sessions of group art therapy. The Person-in-the-Rain (PITR) drawing test was conducted with both groups before and after the EG completed art therapy. The test revealed that EG members demonstrated lower stress and significantly higher stress resources and coping abilities than the CG members after the intervention. The group art therapy program improved the EG participants' ability to deal with stress. This study's findings may offer insights useful for determining how best to provide psychological and emotional support to international students who have left their home countries and are continuing their academic journeys abroad.

Clinical study of dance art therapy on hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia.

To explore the effect of dance art on the treatment of hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia. In a prospective randomized controlled study conducted from June 2019 to June 2020, 120 patients from Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center were divided into intervention (n = 60) and control (n = 60) groups using a random number table. Control patients received standard drug treatment and nursing care, while the intervention group underwent dance art therapy sessions for 90 minutes twice weekly, in addition to standard care. Treatment outcomes after 6 and 12 weeks were measured using the positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), and body mass index (BMI). This study involved 120 male patients with chronic schizophrenia, aged 30 to 60 years. After 6 and 12 weeks, the intervention group showed a greater reduction in PANSS scores (intervention group: from 49.02 ± 2.53 to 37.02 ± 1.83, control group: from 49.08 ± 2.59 to 44.91 ± 2.35, P < .05). In the WCST, the intervention group exhibited a higher increase in classification completion and correct answers, and a greater decrease in errors (P < .05). MoCA scores improved significantly in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < .05). BMI decreased in both groups, with a more pronounced reduction in the intervention group (intervention group: from 26.47 ± 1.05 kg/m² to 22.87 ± 0.73 kg/m², control group: from 26.50 ± 1.03 kg/m² to 26.22 ± 0.80 kg/m², P < .05). Based on routine drug treatment and routine nursing care, dance art has a better clinical effect in treating hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia, which can improve cognitive function, alleviate clinical symptoms, and reduce BMI.

Effects of Art Therapy on Anxiety Levels in College Students in Somalia

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the effects of art therapy on anxiety levels in college students in Somalia. Materials and Methods: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study indicated that engaging in artistic activities such as drawing, painting, and sculpting allows students to channel their stress and anxieties into a tangible form, facilitating emotional release and self-exploration. The therapeutic process of creating art fosters a sense of control and accomplishment, which can counteract feelings of helplessness and anxiety. Additionally, art therapy sessions often incorporate mindfulness techniques, further promoting relaxation and stress reduction. Overall, the integration of art therapy into mental health interventions for college students presents a promising approach to mitigating anxiety and enhancing overall well-being. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Expressive arts therapy, cognitive-behavioral theory and attachment theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the effects of art therapy on anxiety levels in college students in Somalia. Based on empirical findings, practitioners should design art therapy interventions that are tailored to meet the specific needs and preferences of college students. Policy initiatives should prioritize the integration of art therapy as a recognized and reimbursable service within college mental health programs.

La méthode d’analyse phénoméno-structurale : approches psychopathologique, projective et créative

ContextAfter a period of low-key development, phenomenology is once again gaining ground in psychiatry, as well as in clinical psychology and psychopathology. It is becoming particularly relevant in these fields, where the observation of phenomena and the quest for structures to organize them are very appropriate clinical tools for understanding the subject. ObjectivesThe aims of this article are, on the one hand, to review the development of structural phenomenology in the human and medical sciences, and on the other hand, to explore its relationship to creative processes in order to support pragmatic reflection on patient care. MethodThis study is based on the clinical case of a 14-year-old adolescent with Williams & Beuren syndrome. After six years of institutional care, he participated in a program of eight sessions of art therapy designed to retrace his pathway for access to pre-professionalization. Our evaluation is based on a test/retest evaluative clinic using the Rorschach projective test and the Content Analysis Grids centered on the Phenomeno-structural Approach (GACAPS) developed by L. Schiltz. ResultsWe noted an improvement in the adolescent's attention and social skills, as well as an increase in his ability to mobilize his imagination and to access the elaboration of his thoughts. However, the phenomeno-structural analysis, aside from the increasing number of creative responses, enabled us to detect invasive anxieties, which make us fear that, with him, this existential stage of a rite of passage represents a risk that could lead to psychotic problems. DiscussionPhenomenology, given that it is a subtle method, only makes sense if practiced in the world of real life, where “being in the same landscape” becomes as much a diagnostic tool as it is a treatment process. The Rorschach Test with its GACAPS analysis grids, as well as the IPSE method (Processus inductif d’analyse de la structure de l’expérience vécue - Inductive Process for the Analysis of the Structure of Lived Experience), are pragmatic tools providing relevant results in a context of a clinic of modernity.

회상요법을 활용한 집단미술치료가 독거노인의 노화태도와 삶의 질에 미치는 영향

This study examines the effects of reminiscence-based group art therapy on the attitudes toward aging and the quality of life of elderly individuals living alone. The study participants were 24 elderly individuals living alone, aged 65 and older, who use a senior care facility in K City. They were divided into two groups: an exp. group of 12 and a control group of 12. The experimental group underwent 12 sessions of group art therapy once a week from September 5, 2023, to December 12, 2023. The Aging Attitudes Questionnaire(AAQ-21) and the Quality of Life in Ageing Scale(CASP-19) were used as research tools. Differences between groups were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance. The results are as follows. First, the experimental group showed significant improvements in their attitudes towards aging, particularly in aspects related to social loss, physical and psychological changes, and growth. Second, the quality of life in terms of autonomy, pleasure, and self-realization also significantly improved in the experimental group. These findings suggest that reminiscence-based group art therapy can be an effective intervention for enhancing aging attitudes and quality of life among elderly living alone.

Making sense: towards a unified theory of art psychotherapy through the formulation of an aesthetic grid

ABSTRACT In this paper, I discuss how ‘sense’ is made in art therapy regarding three uses of the term: that of ‘meaning’, ‘somatic experience’ and the capacity for ‘sensing’. I suggest that the patient in an art therapy session produces actions and artefacts which come into contact with the mind of the therapist/group. This allows for a dream to be generated between the creator and the observer, that the artwork can tell us something about internal mental states within the creator. I propose a theory of observation by application of an Aesthetic Grid – an adaptation of Bion’s Grid of genetic epistemology. This is an attempt to bring together ‘three waves of art therapy theory and practice’, and incorporates the function of the art object, as well as the phases of art making and looking/talking. The Aesthetic Grid is not intended for use in sessions but rather to be utilized after the event, in order to reflect upon the status of the ‘art-psychotherapy object’ - the totality of the triangular relationship, creator-artwork-viewer, and whether this constitutes development and growth or its inverse.

PENGARUH TERAPI SENI TIE-DYE TERHADAP KEPUASAN HIDUP PASIEN SKIZOFRENIA DI RSJD Dr. RM. SOEDJARWADI KLATEN

Schizophrenia is a psychosocial disorder that affects behavior, feelings, strange delusions, and chaotic thinking patterns. Schizophrenia patients experience a decrease in life satisfaction and well-being related to physical, social, and psychological conditions in carrying out daily activities. Art therapy has the potential to be a way to minimize existing negative symptoms and overcome life stress. This study aims to determine the effect of tie-dye art therapy on the life satisfaction of schizophrenia patients at RSJD Dr. RM. Soedjarwadi Klaten. Research method: Quantitative research using a one-group pre-test-post- test pre-experimental design. The sampling technique uses purposive sampling. The research sample was 21 schizophrenia patients. Life satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) instrument. Hypothesis testing uses the paired sample t-test. Research results: The sample was dominated by those aged 17-25 years (33.3%), men (61.9%), junior high school education (71.4%), and unmarried (42.9%). After the sample received 6 sessions of tie-dye art therapy treatment/intervention, the sample experienced an increase in the mean SWLS score. The life satisfaction hypothesis test showed a p-value of 0.000 (&lt;0.05). This means that there is an influence of tie-dye art therapy on the life satisfaction of schizophrenia patients at RSJD Dr. RM. Soedjarwadi Klaten. In batik therapy, patients can express expressions that cannot be expressed directly, increasing happiness and increasing life satisfaction for schizophrenic patients in RSJ who are undergoing rehabilitation. Conclusion: Tie-dye art therapy influences the life satisfaction of schizophrenia patients at RSJD Dr. RM. Soedjarwadi Klaten.

Visualizing trends on animation art therapy: A bibliometric analysis

&lt;p&gt;By permitting greater user engagement and enhancing user expression, Animation’s expressiveness component aids in improving the efficacy of Art Therapy sessions. Although considered an effective approach, literature studies investigating the impact of Animation therapy on users are limited. The aim of this study is to analyse trends in the field of Animated Art Therapy through literature search method. Data using VOSviewer, R, and Biblioshiny for data visualization. The finding shows that Animation therapy is an effective method of regulating mental health and well-being within an artistic medium. Animation therapy can not only help therapists and users solve problems better in the professional field but also guide the public to release psychological pressure and achieve self-healing. Further research is needed on the long-term impact of Animation Art Therapy and trends, highlighting the possibilities and development prospects of disciplinary integration.&lt;/p&gt;

Nothing less than a creative triumph: a study of children admitted to hospital for serious somatic illness or injury and their experience of art therapy.

Hospitalization can be an extremely distressing experience for seriously ill and injured children. Art therapy has a well-established clinical history, and recent research has begun to demonstrate its effectiveness in somatic pediatric wards. Descriptive and statistical research indicates that art therapy can alleviate anxiety and fear, improve mood, and enhance communication among children, parents, and healthcare professionals. This study aims to enhance our understanding of the specific elements of art therapy that facilitate a connection with the healthier aspects of the self. A total of 12 hospitalized children, aged 4-12, participated in an art therapy session led by a certified art therapist. Verbalizations during the sessions were recorded, and subsequent observations were synchronized with verbatim transcriptions of audio recordings. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to identify relevant patterns of meaning. The study identified four significant dimensions of the children's experiences during art therapy: (1) The child feels safe, (2) The child becomes a competent artist, bursting with creativity, (3) The healthy child emerges, and (4) The child achieves something beyond its limits - a triumph. The active ingredients contributing to effective art therapy include the stimulation of creativity, guided art-making with scaffolding support, task variation, granting children control over the artistic process, encouragement of free expression, and the display of positive regard. This study also delves into the therapeutic alliance, emphasizing its role in facilitating children's learning, self-expression, concentration, and the creation of work they take pride in. Additionally, certain psychotherapy-like interactions, such as control-mastery dynamics, were observed. Nevertheless, more extensive research with larger sample sizes is required to draw broader conclusions.

Art Therapeutic Methods of Work by a Psychologist with Anxious Teenagers in an Educational Institution

Introduction. Anxiety is one of the most common problems faced by teenagers. Factors contributing to anxiety in adolescents may be related to personal characteristics, social, biological factors, and economic conditions. All this determines the relevance of the research topic and the need to develop and implement a correctional and developmental program in educational institutions that helps reduce anxiety levels. The novelty of the study lies in the identification of certain dynamics of anxiety and self-esteem indicators in adolescents after remedial classes using art therapy methods. Purpose. The study of the dynamics of adolescent anxiety in the process of implementing a correctional program using art therapy methods.Materials and methods. To assess anxiety, O. Kondash’s social-situational anxiety scale and Ch. D. Spielberger’s scale for assessing the level of reactive and personal anxiety (adapted by Yu. L. Khanin) were used; to measure the level of selfesteem, the self-esteem diagnostic technique of T. Dembo – S. Rubinstein . The obtained data were subjected to statistical analysis by using the Mann-Whitney U test.Results. The study involved 84 teenagers (from 14 to 16 years old) studying at a secondary school. After conducting classes on the correction of anxiety in adolescents using art therapy methods, significantly significant differences were revealed on the scales of “self-esteem anxiety”, “situational anxiety” and on the indicator of “self-confidence”. It was found that the level of self-esteem and situational anxiety in the experimental group is lower, and self-confidence is higher than in the control group.Discussion. The program of art therapy sessions with adolescents allowed not only to diagnose, but also to correct indicators related to anxiety and self-esteem. The data obtained as a result of the study can be used in the psychological support of anxious adolescents.

코로나19 팬데믹 시기 가족 사별을 경험한 대학생의 VR기반 애도 미술치료 사례연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to identify VR-based mourning art therapy experiences for college stu-dents who have experienced family bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic and seek directions for art psy-chological support for college students who have experienced bereavement.&#x0D; Methods This study divided four college students into preliminary research and research, and conducted four ses-sions of VR-based art therapy and PITR drawing tests(pre-, post-, and last post- test). The final VR-based mourning art therapy program was completed through a report on the experience of a preliminary study in which the researcher directly participated and a revision process through the expert's supervision. This study was con-ducted on two college students who expressed their willingness to participate in the future. The qualitative results of art therapy cases collected in this study were cross-analyzed and categorized by four researchers to derive results.&#x0D; Results First of all, three areas, seven themes, and 75 corresponding meaning statements were derived as a result of VR-based mourning art therapy, and it was confirmed that it provided meaningful mourning experiences to col-lege students who experienced bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second of all, it was reported that VR-based mourning art therapy had the effect of confirming the present self in the PITR drawing tests(pre-, post-, and last post- test).&#x0D; Conclusions The results of this study are significant in that they confirmed the experiences of college students who experienced bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic through VR-based art therapy, and we hope to contribute to expanding the support base and academic development of VR-based mourning art therapy.

Проблемы и перспективы социальной адаптации инвалидов в малых городах России: по результатам авторского исследования

The article presents the results of the author's research on the problems and prospects of social adaptation for young people with disabilities living in small towns in Russia. A comprehensive study was conducted in 2023 using sociological (observation, formalized survey) and psychological (projective techniques, art therapy) research methods. The aim of the study was to identify the factors of successful social adaptation among the people with disabilities (people with disabilities since childhood and people with acquired disabilities) living in the city of Murom, Vladimir region. Sociological data were obtained during the implementation of the project "Limitless Meetings," supported by a grant from the Federal Agency Rosmolodezh. The sample of the study was targeted (n = 36); the sample included people with disabilities of the musculoskeletal system and members of the Murom City public organization of support workers who are also people with disabilities, "Phoenix." During the implementation of the project, the participants were involved in proactive creative, cultural, leisure, and educational activities, which allowed the participants to focus their attention on the research goals. The scientific novelty and theoretical significance of the work lie in the development and testing of tools for a comprehensive study of the social adaptation of people with disabilities and the inclusion in the analysis of social adaptation of indicators of the impact of educational and creative activities on the satisfaction of project participants. As a result, the authors have identified the factors contributing to the successful adaptation of people with disabilities and also presented a promising model of their interaction in order to increase the effectiveness of social adaptation, which was tested during the implementation of the project. The analysis of the problems and prospects of social adaptation, as well as the assessment of the interaction model of the participants of the project "Limitless Meetings," were carried out based on the results of observation, a sociological survey, and the interpretation of data obtained as a result of the use of art therapy and projective techniques. It was revealed that the level of social adaptation of the project participants increased. This was influenced by: the intensive social interaction of project participants with volunteers; their acquisition of practical skills in social networking and resume writing; and the use of technologies for the active expression of creative abilities during art therapy sessions. The practical significance of the work is the data obtained during the successful implementation of the project and the involvement of people with disabilities with diseases of the musculoskeletal system in cultural, creative, educational, and artistic activities, which can be used by specialists in correctional and rehabilitation work in rehabilitation centers for the people with disabilities, social and educational institutions, and centers of additional education in order to increase the effectiveness of social adaptation.

코로나19 펜데믹 이후 비대면 미술치료 연구 동향 분석

This study aims to suggest the usefulness and development direction of non-face-to-face art therapy by analyzing research trends on non-face-to-face art therapy after the COVID-19 pandemic. The papers subject to analysis are studies on non-face-to-face art therapy after COVID-19, with a total of 73 papers published from 2020 to 2023. The research results are as follows. First, the most research on non-face-to-face art therapy was conducted in 2022, and there were many master's theses. Second, the most common research method was qualitative research, and many studies were non-face-to-face and real-time video, and did not record whether or not IRB review was approved. Third, most non-face-to-face art therapy sessions were 6 to 10 sessions, lasting less than 90 minutes, and many studies did not record media preparation. Fourth, the number of study subjects was 2-5, and most of them were adults and had emotional problems. Fifth, the research topic was emotion-related, and most of the research involved verifying effects. These research results were able to provide direction and basic data for non-face-to-face art therapy required in the future post-corona era and explore the possibility of applying non-face-to-face art therapy to clinical sites.

The effects of online art therapy on ego functions, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationship styles in neurotic personality organization

Art therapy, as an effective therapeutic intervention, is used to improve positive self-image and self-awareness, promote insight, and enhance therapeutic communication. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of art psychotherapy on ego functions, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationship styles of individuals with neurotic personality organization. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, 60 participants were assigned to intervention and control groups, each further divided into three subgroups (n = 10 per subgroup). The intervention group engaged in online art therapy sessions twice weekly over nine weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, and independent t-tests. There was a significant decrease in the intervention group's judgmental subdimensions of the Ego Function Assessment Scale. A significant decrease was found in the intervention group in “awareness” (p < 0.01), “clarity” (p < 0.05), and “impulse” (p < 0.001) subdimensions and total scores of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. There was no statistical difference between the intervention and control groups' mean pretests and posttests and comparing those groups with each other concerning IRSQ scores. The online group art therapy led to successful improvements in participants' ego functions and emotion regulations.

The Visual Life Story Approach: A Tool for Transformation and Well-Being in Museum Art Therapy With Immigrant Adults (L’approche visuelle du récit de vie : un outil de transformation et de bien-être en art-thérapie muséale auprès d’adultes immigrants)

The narrative, arts-based research described in this article explores the visual life story approach with a group of immigrant adults (N = 7) of various cultural origins conducted in partnership with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). The art therapy research examines the joint contribution of life story and artistic creation to enhancing the coherence of the participants’ narrative identities and psychological well-being. The phenomenological, narrative, arts-based method includes in-depth interviews focusing on the participants’ verbal accounts of their lives, followed by 12 art therapy sessions that allowed the embodiment of their lived experience into artworks. Results identify the therapeutic factors that enhance psychological well-being and highlight the integrative function of the visual life story approach. They demonstrate the healing power of art making in the company of others, and its capacity to promote reflexivity and facilitate the exploration of existential themes of universal significance. Ultimately, museum-based art therapy contributes to a heightened sense of well-being and empowerment.

Effectiveness of Art Therapy and Physical Activity in Improving Quality of Sleep in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Quasi-experimental Pilot Study

Introduction: Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP) is characterised by abnormalities in movement and posture, along with sensory and tone abnormalities. It also represents significant impairments in cognition and sleep quality. Art activity involves playfulness, creativity, improvisation, and brings benefits to cognition and the alleviation of mental suffering. Physical activity shows considerable improvement in sleep quality as it concentrates on cardiorespiratory fitness and increases total energy expenditure. Aim: To evaluate the effect of art therapy and physical activity on sleep quality in children with hemiplegic CP. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental pilot study was performed among six ambulant children with hemiplegic CP in December 2022 at MGM School of Physiotherapy, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. Both male and female children aged between 4 to 12 years were included in the study. Pretest scores were recorded using the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ). The participants then underwent a physiotherapy protocol lasting one hour, which included art therapy along with upper limb physical activities for four weeks. Art therapy included colouring pictures, drawing geometrical shapes, line-drawing connections, thumbprints, and vegetable prints. The protocol was given for one month, which included three sessions of art therapy and physical activity each week. Parents and children were encouraged to follow the protocol before sleep. At the end of one month, postscoring of all outcome measures was calculated, and statistical analysis was done using the paired t-test. Results: From the results, the median pretest and post-test PSQ scores were 0.68 and 0.49, respectively. Interquartile Range (IQR) value for the outcome measure was 0.0675 and 0.0775, which was significant. Conclusion: Art therapy, along with physical activity, improved sleep quality in children with hemiplegic CP.

The Effects of Art Therapy and Psychosocial Skills Training on Symptoms and Social Functioning in Patients with Schizophrenia and Their Relatives.

The effects of antipsychotics on negative symptoms are limited. The most appropriate approach in the treatment of schizophrenia is the integration of drug therapy with psychological and social interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of art therapy and psychosocial skills training (PSST) in the treatment of schizophrenia. A total of 15 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the criteria in DSM-5 and 12 patient relatives were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, 7 were included in the art therapy program and 8 were included in the PSST program for schizophrenia. 90-minute sessions of art therapy and PSST were carried out once a week for 17 weeks. Participants with schizophrenia were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia and the relatives were given Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Zarit Burden Interview. There was a significant decrease in the PANSS negative symptoms, PANSS general psychopathology, SFS pro-social activities and SFS recreation scores in both groups, while the SFS social withdrawal scores decreased significantly only in the art therapy group. In the PANSS negative symptoms subscale, passive social withdrawal, difficulty in abstract thinking, lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation and stereotyped thinking scores were significantly lower in the art therapy group. In the PSST group only the score for difficulty in abstract thinking declined significantly. The findings of the present study suggest that art therapy and PSST have positive effects on the improvement of negative symptoms as well as improvements in social and cognitive functionality in schizophrenia.

집단미술치료가 요양시설 거주 남성노인의 우울과 주관적 행복감에 미치는 효과

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of group art therapy on depression and subjective happiness among male elderly residents in a nursing home. A total of 10 male participants aged 65 or older, who exhibited mild depression based on the K-GDS, were selected from an elderly nursing home in K City. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group(n=5) or the control group(n=5). The experimental group attended 12 sessions of group art therapy, excluding pre- and post-examinations, with each session lasting 60 minutes and taking place once a week. The K-GDS and OHQ were utilized as study tools, and qualitative analysis was conducted with the program steps. The results of this study, first, group art therapy was effective in reducing feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and unhappiness, which are sub-factors of depression, but did not significantly impact the cognitive decline associated with depression in elderly males residents in the nursing home. Second, group art therapy was found to be effective in improving internal happiness, external happiness, and self-regulated happiness, which are sub-factors of subjective happiness among the elderly male residents in the nursing home. Third, a qualitative analysis of the program at different stages, including the initial, mid-term I, mid-term II, and closing stages, revealed that group art therapy had a positive effect on both depression and subjective happiness among male elderly residents in the nursing home.