Creative Therapies Research Articles

A Study of the Application of Creative Arts Therapy to Improve Depression

This paper explores the practical application and effectiveness of an emerging psychological intervention, creative arts therapy, in combating depressive mood. In today’s society, depressed mood has become a mental health problem with wide-ranging effects in the face of increasing life pressure. Against this background, creative art therapy, such as painting, music composition, and handicraft production, as a psychotherapeutic approach that breaks through the traditional framework, is showing its unique charm in reducing depressive symptoms and improving mental health. Through in-depth analyses of a series of studies and real cases, this paper demonstrates the remarkable contribution of creative art therapy in promoting emotional recovery and improving quality of life and looks forward to its future application.

Effect of creative art therapy (CATs) on depressive symptoms and quality of life among Jordanian community-dwelling older people: an experimental study.

There are a lack of studies examining the effect of creative art therapy on older people. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of creative art therapy on reducing depressive symptoms and improving the quality of life among Jordanian older people. A one-group time-series design (pretest, posttest, and follow-up) was adopted between June 2021 and April 2022 on 102 community-dwelling older people who suffered from depressive symptoms and low quality of life in Amman Governorate. Significant differences were found among older people in pre-, post-, and follow-up therapy for depressive symptoms and quality of life. Post hoc tests showed a statistically significant reduction in symptoms and an improvement in quality of life from pre to post-intervention, which was sustained at follow-up. Results suggested that using creative art therapies as a therapeutic intervention for older persons was effective in minimizing depressive symptoms and improving quality of life.

Influence of Art Therapy on Emotional Expression in Trauma Survivors in Turkey

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of art therapy on emotional expression in trauma survivors in Turkey. Methodology: 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: Art therapy has been found to help individuals process and express complex emotions related to their traumatic experiences, providing a non-verbal outlet for emotional release. Participants in these studies reported improved emotional regulation, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and enhanced overall emotional well-being. The creative process facilitated by art therapy allows survivors to explore and articulate their feelings in a safe and supportive environment. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Expressive arts therapy theory, trauma-informed care theory & cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT) may be used to anchor future studies on the influence of art therapy on emotional expression in trauma survivors in Turkey. There is a need to expand training programs for art therapists to include specific techniques for working with trauma survivors. Policymakers should advocate for the integration of art therapy into standard trauma care practices in healthcare settings, including hospitals, mental health clinics, and community support programs.

Cooking therapy in the creative arts therapy theoretical context: Conceptual validation and practical guidelines

Therapists across disciplines incorporate cooking as a central tool within their clinical practice. However, the concept of “cooking therapy” lacks a standardized operational definition, hindering the advancement of this field within psychotherapy. The main objective of this article is to examine cooking within the context of psychotherapy from the perspective of creative arts therapy (CAT). Through this lens, the authors aim to delineate the therapeutic factors inherent in the CATs and illustrate how these factors manifest in cooking activities within therapeutic settings. Therapists can use the proposed framework to establish consistency in cooking therapy protocols. This standardization will facilitate the development of comparable research exploring the effects and effectiveness of cooking therapy across populations. Moreover, therapists can gain insight into the therapeutic mechanisms, deepening their understanding of cooking’s potential contributions to the therapeutic process and its applications, analogous to various artistic modalities used in CATs.

Standing tall: A continuing education program and participatory study offered to arts therapists working in the israeli education system

This article is based on an arts-based participatory action research study conducted as an integral part of the Standing Tall continuing education program. Focusing on arts therapists within the Israeli education system, the research investigated their perceptions of the state of creative arts therapies in the system, their experiences, and their suggestions for enhancing their work environment. Finally, it explored co-researchers’ perceptions of the meaningfulness of their involvement in the program and participatory research initiative. The 20 arts therapists-co-researchers who participated in this program conducted interviews with 142 colleagues to learn about their job experiences and then analyzed these interviews. The lead researchers thematically analyzed the written and artistic materials collected during the program. The research findings showed the participants, both co-researchers, and interviewees, perceived the integration of arts therapy into the educational system as significant and potentially beneficial. The co-researchers aspired to play an active role in enhancing this integration while acknowledging the challenges involved. They saw the program as a meaningful opportunity for arts-based self-exploration. The findings suggest that while decision-makers play a crucial role in shaping the working conditions of arts therapists, the therapists themselves can catalyze change in the educational system and perhaps in other public systems as well.

Navigating the Complexities of Perinatal Loss with Expressive Arts Therapy

Perinatal loss, encompassing miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion, is a complex and multifaceted experience that presents significant challenges for those affected. Despite the growing emphasis on grieving rituals and proactive involvement with affected families, the mental health treatment field has only recently begun to explore the potential benefits of expressive arts therapy in supporting individuals and families through the bereavement process. This paper reviews research suggesting that expressive arts therapy, a holistic approach that utilizes various creative modalities, can facilitate emotional expression, self-awareness, and healing in the context of perinatal loss. By providing a non-verbal means of emotional expression,fostering a sense of community, and promoting empowerment, expressive arts therapy can help navigate the complexities of perinatal bereavement, ultimately promoting healing and strengthening the parent-child bond, even in the face of tragedy.

Motivation and experiences of studying creative arts therapy among Chinese doctoral students in South Korea

Chinese students accounted for 40.4% of international students in South Korea in 2022. Universities in China require doctoral degrees to teach art. Creative arts therapy has increasingly gained attention. This study investigated the experiences of six Chinese students in a study abroad program for creative arts therapy in South Korea. We gathered data from visual artworks and interviews. The analysis yielded six themes: No doctoral degree, no job position for art educators in university, China; Expectations for the development of CAT in China; Despite majoring in art, CAT is a new discipline; Study abroad while unprepared in terms of language ability; Wanting to escape due to academic pressure; Motivation to continue studying abroad. Findings revealed that psychological and emotional support programs would help international students across different nationalities and cultures. Students’ study abroad experience and how it contributes to their lives beyond obtaining a degree requires further consideration.

The effectiveness of expressive art therapy on infertile women undergoing surgery: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundInfertility produces infertility-related stress in both members of infertile couples, especially for infertile women. Some studies verified the negative relationship between infertility-related stress and outcomes of infertility treatments. Effective mental health care during fertility treatment is urgently needed, but there has been a lack of efficient support services. To reduce the infertility-related stress of infertile women, expressive art therapeutic schemes will be organized and implemented by certified international expressive art therapists.MethodsThis study is a randomized controlled trial. Participants in the intervention group will receive expressive art therapies after the baseline investigation. Expressive art therapies will be led by the certified international expressive art therapist. The interventions include progressive muscle relaxation training, music meditation and drawing therapy. Participants in the control group will receive routine care. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) will be used to investigate the anxiety, depression, and infertility-related stress of all participants at admission and at discharge.DiscussionThis study will verify the effectiveness and efficiency of expressive art therapies for infertile women. The results will provide new knowledge on mental health care strategies for infertile women.Trial registrationChiCTR, ChiCTR2300070618. Registered 14 April 2023.

A critical and interpretive synthesis of arts-based methods used by dance therapy researchers: A perspective from the creative arts therapies

The creative arts therapies are a group of modality specific disciplines that include dance, music, drama and art. Creative arts therapists take an arts-based approach to practice which often results in the privileging of alternate ways of knowing, such as non-verbal, artistic, and embodied forms of expression and meaning-making. The rising interest in arts-based research in our field, as well as within psychology, has prompted us – a dance therapist and music therapist - to take a closer look at the research literature to ascertain the function and purpose of existing arts-based research approaches in the creative arts therapies. Using dance therapy as an example, we conducted a rigorous interpretive review of 12 dance therapy arts-based research articles to help answer the question - ‘what is the function and purpose of arts-based research in dance therapy?‘. As part of our review, we used an arts-based process to synthesise data and to strengthen our analytic process in a manner congruent with artistic ‘ways of knowing.’ Our exploration led us to recognise that arts-based processes appear to enable the ‘illustration’ and ‘illumination’ of novel understanding in ways that are often more difficult to arrive at when using other qualitative research methods. Furthermore, arts-based research can be useful for facilitating researcher reflexivity, which may be used in service of deepening the interpretive process in qualitative research. However, our involvement with the dance therapy publications also revealed a clear shortcoming for the field: at present there appears to be a clear lack of focus on direct client engagement in the arts-based research literature. As such, arts-based research in the field of dance therapy seems to be somewhat removed from professional practice and appears to instead fulfil a more scholarly or self-reflective purpose. Based on this discovery, we offer some recommendations for those interested in pursuing arts-based research within both psychology as well as creative arts therapies, and in doing so highlight the importance of client voice and experience in health-focused research.

Working with Existential Inquiries in Art Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy

The article discusses methods of working with existential inquiries within the framework of Art therapy and Expressive Arts therapy. The author analyzes the effectiveness of various approaches and techniques used in these therapy methods to help clients in the process of actualizing existential crises, making sense of their existence, personal growth, and addressing life problems. The article explores concepts of Expressive Arts therapy psychotherapy, the psychology of meaning in life, and therapy through practical use. Practical recommendations for working with clients using art therapy and intermodal expressive arts therapy are offered, and an analysis of effectiveness factors, advantages and disadvantages is carried out. Utilizing art therapy and intermodal expressive arts therapy, among other modalities, to address existential issues proves to be a significant and impactful approach in providing support and guidance to clients. The visibility, accessibility, and resourcefulness inherent in these approaches are key advantages for individuals seeking to explore and comprehend their own meanings and experiences.

Expressive Art Therapy Psychoeducation Module for Mental Health, Resilience, Attitude Towards Seeking Counselling Among Trainee Teachers

Expressive Art Therapy Psychoeducation Module for Mental Health, Resilience, Attitude Towards Seeking Counselling Among Trainee Teachers

Exploring of Expressive Art Therapy in Counselling: A Recent Systematic Review

Exploring of Expressive Art Therapy in Counselling: A Recent Systematic Review

Expressive Arts Therapy's Impact on Trauma in Incarcerated Youth

This study examines the effectiveness of expressive arts therapy in mitigating childhood trauma in incarcerated youth, with the aim of reducing the risk of mental disorders, violence, and recidivism by identifying and treating underlying trauma. The study involves 12 participants from the incarcerated youth population, 6 in each group; however, one participant in the control group dropped out of the study during the post-test due to non-attendance. The study used a quasi-experimental design. The experimental group received four sessions over a period of one week. The study found no significant reduction in PTSD symptoms using expressive arts therapy, analyzing for time measured (p=0.700), experimental group (p=0.037), and their interaction (p=0.568). This study found that expressive arts therapy did not significantly reduce posttraumatic stress symptoms in incarcerated youth, likely due to several factors. Future studies should address methodological limitations such as nonrandomization and explore alternative therapies.

From art to insight: The role of a creative arts therapies group workshop on college students' well-being, self-awareness, and loneliness

This study examined the effects of a three-hour Creative Arts Therapies (CATs) group workshop on perceived well-being, self-awareness, and loneliness among college students. Using a within-subjects design, participants completed surveys before and after the workshop and during a follow-up phase. Each workshop, facilitated by two certified art therapists, involved groups of 5 to 13 students. The workshops included 89 students aged 18–51 years, 87 responded after the workshop and 59 during the follow-up. Results indicated a short-term increase in subjective well-being, characterized by heightened positive emotions, life satisfaction, and reduced negative affect. Additionally, the workshop reduced state anxiety and enhanced awareness, fostering both inward self-awareness of feelings and thoughts and outward environmental awareness. A decrease in concerns about social judgments and feelings of loneliness suggested greater self-acceptance and social connection. Predictors of these changes included the perceived therapeutic value of the workshop and group cohesion. Moreover, depressive symptoms were associated with both negative affect and public self-awareness changes. However, follow-up revealed that increases in life satisfaction and loneliness were transient, returning to initial levels, suggesting the need for ongoing interventions and further research on the effects of CATs in group settings.

Using Creative Arts Therapy to Promote Academic Success in the Postsecondary Setting: A Secondary Narrative Review of Preliminary Findings from 2009 to 2019

Background: The application of creative arts therapies (CATs) in schools has become an area of interest among educational researchers. Much of the literature has concentrated on the K-12 setting, with a minor focus on how CATs have been utilized to achieve academic success. Inquiries examining how CATs in the postsecondary setting have targeted academic success have yet to be aggregated and reviewed for their specific contributions. Purpose: This secondary narrative review of CAT-based educational interventions analyzes preliminary literature gathered from a larger systematic review on the application of CATs in K-12 schools. In the present review, CATs are considered for their unique contributions to postsecondary academic success through experiential learning. Methodology: The identification procedure is situated in the context of the initial systematic review and outlined according to carryover elements useful for the present analysis. Findings/Conclusions: All CATs were represented, a majority featured undergraduates, qualitative data, and experiential interventions; all studies demonstrated academic utility via an empirical lens. Implications: Based on this initial analysis, CATs may be uniquely suited to promote academic success by developing affective awareness and leveraging group processes for institutional integration. Limitations and considerations to promote academic success via CATs in postsecondary education are offered.

Neurodynamics of Relational Aesthetic Engagement in Creative Arts Therapies

Aesthetic experiences, emerging saliently in the arts, play a pivotal role in transformative learning and creative processes that elicit physiological, affective, and cognitive responses associated with mental health indices. Interactions between subjects and aesthetic objects (e.g., visual artwork, music, and moving bodies) often entail elements of surprise and uncertainty that drive the inference of the hidden causes in the subject’s internal and external environment. These generate dynamics that align with the action-oriented Predictive Processing framework of brain function. Creative Arts Therapies (CATs) harness these dynamics by cultivating relational engagement using the arts modalities, prompting affective and cognitive processing. In this manuscript, we offer a review and conceptual analysis of recent empirical findings and theoretical premises that underpin aesthetic experiences and their relation to the psychotherapeutic use of the arts with a broad spectrum of populations and mental health conditions. We present a neuroscience-based approach to aesthetic intra- and inter-personal experiences, integrating therapeutic change factors of externalization-concretization, embodiment, and symbolization with functional network configurations, and interpersonal brain-to-brain coupling, to support predictive processing, learning, and creativity. Present and future interdisciplinary collaborations are underlined to elucidate the neurodynamic mechanisms driving psychological transformations, bridging neuroaesthetics and CATs.

Mapping the Palette: A Bibliometric Journey into Art in Health Research

Arts in healthcare is a broad worldwide movement that includes how the arts influence patient care, hospital surrounds. Art in health research is crucial to prove its effectiveness and guide its practical application in healthcare, addressing current gaps in knowledge and ensuring optimal integration into patient care. The objective of this article is to present a literature review and bibliometric analysis of the mapping art in health research from 2018 to 2023. Text queries on Scopus (1, 670 documents) and PubMed (550 documents) using the term (“art therapy” OR “art in medicine” OR “arts-based interventions” OR “creative arts therapies” OR “Art in Health”) have done on 15 October 2023 obtaining 2220 documents for in-depth analysis. Rstudio 4.2.1 and biblioshiny for bibliometrix were used to analyze research trends. The most popular journal in Scopus is the journal Arts in Psychotherapy while the journal Frontiers in Psychology in PubMed. In Scopus, the most frequently used author keywords and add keywords are “art therapy” while in PubMed it shows “humans” REGEV D., (Scopus) and TESTONI I., (PubMed) are the most popular authors. The United States of America produces the most scientific articles in Scopus and PubMed. The most notable affiliations from Scopus and PubMed is University of Haifa. In conclusion, PubMed and Scopus databases, it can be observed that a significant proportion of European researchers exhibit a broader range of research interests in the field of art in health.

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.

Person-Centered Expressive Arts Therapy in Clinical Settings: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Interventions

Background: Person-Centered Expressive Arts Therapy (PCEAT) integrates the core concepts of humanistic psychology with the expressive arts to improve mental health and well-being. Its efficacy is substantiated by research across varied demographics for multiple psychological conditions. This review critically evaluates the effectiveness of PCEAT in clinical settings, employing quantitative research methods. Methods: The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42023457126) searching eight databases for studies up to November 2023. Inclusion criteria were quantitative evaluations of PCEAT's effectiveness in clinical settings. Studies were assessed for risk of bias and categorized into three levels of evidence. Results: Three studies were included, focusing on dementia patients. These studies utilized various arts activities and showed improved emotional functioning and quality of life. However, all studies had high risk of bias, and the review did not perform a meta-analysis due to the heterogeneity of studies. Conclusions: Although PCEAT demonstrates potential benefits for dementia patients, the existing evidence remains limited and lacks robustness. Future research should incorporate more comprehensive and diverse studies to thoroughly assess PCEAT's efficacy in various populations and settings.

Writing to Keep on Living: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Creative Writing Therapy for the Management of Depression and Suicidal Ideation.

The purpose of this review and meta-analysis was to explore the effectiveness of creative writing therapies for the management of depression and suicidal ideation. Twenty one of the 31 reviewed studies showed that creative writing significantly improved depressive symptoms, while five studies suggested improvement in other symptoms. The results of meta-analyses showed that narrative writing significantly reduced depression compared to those in neutral writing or treatment as usual condition in both post intervention and follow-up. However, the number of studies exploring the effects of creative writing in suicidal ideation was too low to perform a meta-analysis. A structured and well-targeted intervention using creative writing could have beneficial results for the management of depressive symptoms. More studies are needed to explore the potential benefits of creative writing for reducing suicidal ideation.