Arts-On-Prescription (AOP) programmes are growing in popularity in European primary care. To meet social distancing rules of the COVID-19 pandemic, AOP workshops were moved onto online video ...conferencing platformism. It is unknown whether the format (in-person versus online) affects how patients perceive these programmes and their overall success.
To investigate the impact of arts programmes on the health and wellbeing of primary care patients and whether the online format affects the accessibility or intended benefit of such programmes.
We conducted a qualitative study at a single primary care centre in Brighton, UK, where numerous AOP programmes are offered. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with nine participants. Interviews were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. Transcriptions underwent thematic analysis by two independent researchers, first independently, then collaboratively.
The online format provided 'a form of meeting people in a safe environment' for those shielding from COVID-19. Some participants preferred the online format to face-to-face workshops, particularly those with physical disabilities or social anxiety. Teething issues with the technology at the start were reported by some. Participants greatly value the service, reporting numerous benefits to social, physical, and mental wellbeing (particularly in addressing anxiety symptoms). Workshops such as singing and dancing helped the management of chronic physical symptoms.
Participants valued the workshops as a space for peer support and patient empowerment. These findings must be viewed in the context of social isolation arising from lockdown. Online delivery offers potential for widening access to arts interventions. Further research should explore the opinions of vulnerable groups.
Introduction 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. Methods 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. Results 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. Discussion 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.
Purpose
While there is increasing evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial support programs for cancer patients, little attention has been paid to creativity or art as a way of addressing their ...psychological problems and improving quality of life. This review provides an overview of interventional studies that investigate the effects of art therapy interventions on anxiety, depression, and quality of life in adults with cancer.
Methods
We conducted a literature review with a systematic search. The databases PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE were searched for articles on art therapy among adult (18 years and above) cancer patients, published between September 2009 up to September 2019. Search terms were established for each database specifically. A total of 731 publications was assessed for relevance by title and abstract. The remaining 496 articles were examined using three inclusion criteria: interventions were guided by an artist or art therapist, participants were actively involved in the creative process, and anxiety, depression, and/or quality of life were included as outcome measures. Methodological quality of the included studies was appraised using specific checklists.
Results
Seven papers met the inclusion criteria. Data was extracted from three non-randomized intervention studies and four randomized controlled trials. All studies used a quantitative design with validated outcome measures. Four articles described positive effects of art therapy on anxiety, depression, or quality of life in adults with cancer.
Conclusion
Art therapy could possibly help decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve quality of life in adult cancer patients. However, because of the heterogeneity of the interventions and limited methodological quality of the studies, further research using stringent methods is needed.
Creative arts therapies (CAT) provide a safe and creative environment for older adults to process life experiences and maintain personal growth while aging. There is a growing need to make creative ...arts therapies more accessible to the aging population, as many have limited access to these services. This need has been catalyzed by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tele-CAT offers a possible solution. This study explored the experiences of older adults who participated in an online creative process of digital photocollage based on CAT. Twenty-four Italian and Israeli community-dwelling older adults aged 78 to 92 participated in this research through Zoom teleconferencing software. Transcriptions of the sessions and the art produced through the photocollage were qualitatively analyzed through Thematic Analysis. The findings show that the projective stimuli of digital photographs supported older adults' narratives and engaged them in a more embodied emotional experience. Participant experiences involved artistic enjoyment within a positive and safe interaction with therapists. The creation of digital photocollages allowed the participants to process their life experiences and create an integrative view of their life, a vital developmental task in late life. These results point to the advantages and challenges of tele-CAT for older adults.
Integration Beaven, Rebekah
International journal of art therapy,
06/2022, Volume:
27, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Rebekah Beaven’s reflections on her artwork ‘Integration’, which was chosen for the cover of this IJAT special issue, capture the excitement of embarking on art therapy training. These reflections ...support the energy and innovative thinking in these research and practice papers, which bodes well for the future of art therapy.
Asian Art Therapists Kitazawa, Megu
2021, 20201129, 2020, 2020-11-30, 2020-11-29, Volume:
1
eBook
This book explores Asian art therapist experiences in a predominantly White professional field, challenging readers with visceral, racial, and personalized stories that may push them far beyond their ...comfort zone.
Drawing from the expertise and practices of Asian art therapists from around the world, this unique text navigates how minority status can affect training and clinical practice in relation to clients, co-workers, and peers. It describes how Asian pioneers have broken therapeutic and racial rules to accommodate patient needs and improve clinical skills and illustrates how the reader can examine and disseminate their own biases. Authors share how they make their own path-by becoming aware of the connection between their lives and circumstances-and how they liberate themselves and those who seek their services.
This informative resource for art therapy students and professionals offers non-Asian readers a glimpse at personal and clinical experiences in a White-dominanted profession while detailing how Asian art therapists can lead race-based discussions with empathy to become more competent therapists and educators in an increasingly diversifying world.
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