Research shows that art therapy brings mental health benefits

Making art for healing purposes dates back tens of thousands of years, to the practices of First Nations people around the world. Art therapy uses creative techniques, particularly the visual arts such as painting, drawing or sculpture, with the aim of improving physical health and emotional well-being.

When people are faced with a serious physical or mental illness, it can be difficult to put their experiences into words. Art therapists support people to explore and process stressful thoughts, feelings and experiences through a reflective art-making process. This is different from art classes, which often focus on the technical aspects of a work of art, or the beauty of the final product.

Art therapy can be used to support treatment for a variety of physical and mental health conditions. It has been linked to benefits including improved self-care, social relationships and emotional regulation, while reducing levels of stress, anxiety and even pain points.

In a study published this week in the Journal of Mental Health, we found that art therapy is associated with better outcomes for children and adolescents in the mental health department of the hospital.

An option for those who cannot find words

Although a person’s participation in talk therapy may sometimes be affected by the nature of their illness, verbal meditation is optional in art therapy.

If possible, after completing the work of art, a person can examine the meaning of their work with a professional artist, to translate the unspoken symbolic information into words.

However, since the role of speech is not very important in the treatment process, art therapy is an available option for people who may not be able to find words to describe their experiences.

Image therapy has supported improved mental health outcomes for people with post-traumatic stress disorder, people with eating disorders, schizophrenia and dementia, as well as children with autism.

Art therapy has also been linked to improved outcomes for people with a variety of physical health conditions. These include lower levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue among people with cancer, improved mental stability for patients with heart disease, and improved social relationships among people with with a traumatic brain injury.

Art therapy has been associated with improved levels of mood and anxiety in hospitalized patients, and lower pain, fatigue and stress among patients with disabilities.

Our research

Mental illness, including children and young people, presents a major challenge to our society. Although most care takes place in the community, a small percentage of young people require hospital care to ensure their safety.

In this environment, more restrictive practices, such as self-isolation or physical restraint, may be used temporarily as a last resort to ensure immediate physical safety. However, these “restrictive habits” are associated with negative consequences such as mental stress in patients and health professionals.

Sadly, staff report a lack of alternatives to keeping patients safe. However, the elimination of restrictive practices is a major goal of mental health services in Australia and internationally.

Our research looked at data over six years from an Australian child and adolescent mental health hospital. We wanted to find out if there was a reduction in restrictive behaviors during periods when art therapy was provided in the unit, compared to periods when it was not.

We found a clear relationship between providing art therapy and reducing the frequency of isolation, physical restraint and sedative injection in the group.

We do not know the exact reason for this. However, art therapy may reduce stress levels among patients, thereby reducing the risk of harming themselves or others, and the opportunity for staff to use preventive measures. prevent this.

That said, being admitted to the hospital involves a number of treatment options that include both therapy and medication. Confirming the effect of a treatment intervention requires controlled clinical trials where people are randomly assigned to one or the other treatment.

Although ours was an observational study, randomized controlled trials support the benefits of art therapy in youth mental health services. For example, a 2011 hospital-based study showed reduced post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among young people who did not go to emotionally-focused art therapy compared to a “control” art program. and a group of crafts.

What do young people think?

In previous research we found art therapy was considered by young people in mental health care in a hospital as a more helpful group therapy activity compared to other therapy groups based on speech and activities creative.

In unpublished research, we are interviewing young people to better understand their experiences of art therapy, and why it can reduce stress. A young person receiving art therapy in a mental health service shared:

[Art therapy] it’s a way to express your feelings in a way that doesn’t involve being judged […] It allowed me to release a lot of things that were piercing and things that I couldn’t put into words.

A promising site

Ongoing research showing the benefits of art therapy for physical and mental health especially emphasizes the importance of creative and innovative approaches to health care therapy.

There are opportunities to expand art therapy services in a variety of health care settings. Doing so can increase access to art therapy for people with a variety of physical and mental health conditions.

This article is reprinted from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the first article.