1. Jenna Dennis
Art Therapy Analysis Part A-E
PIBH 3331
March 23, 2016
Art Therapy: Increasing Health Benefits and Decreasing Stress
By definition, art therapy is a form of self-expression psychotherapy through methods
such as painting, sculpting, modeling and drawing. Art therapy is the use of art-making activities
to increase one’s overall well-being and to help individuals in overcome a variety of challenges
(Maujean, Pepping, & Kendall, 2014). The purpose of art therapy is to help an individual come
to a sense of realization within oneself. Art therapy is used in the mental health profession in
order to help individuals explore their feelings, deal with internal and external conflicts, develop
or improve social skills, lessen the effects anxiety has on the body and increase one’s overall
self-esteem (American Art Therapy Association, 2013). It is used in many different mental
health professions such as psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, crisis centers and
wellness centers to enhance their overall well-being (American Art Therapy Association, 2013).
A main goal of art therapy is to facilitate the expression of clients’ experiences through
meaningful engagement in art and creative processes. Art-making activities are used to enhance
well-being and to assist individuals in overcoming various difficulties and challenges. There are
many different types of people who benefit from art therapy such as people who have an
experienced a certain trauma whether it be war, natural disasters or physical or mental abuse
(American Art Therapy Association, 2013). It is often used with people who experience health
disorders or diseases such as autism, cancer, or depression to name a few.

2. Art therapy and health benefits and connected through many different evidence-based
practices that show beneficial results. In a review by Theresa Van Lith, Morgot Schofield, and
Patricia Fenner they found evidence of health benefits through art-based practices. In their
review of previous research they found that art-based practices are of high benefit to several
different aspects of ones overall health. Their main finding was the benefits to one’s
psychological nature in terms of benefitting self-discovery, expression, maintaining relationships
and helping with one’s social identity (Van Lith, Schofield, & Fenner, 2013). According to
Elissa Bowes art therapy helps alleviate stress through creativity. There are three different
components centered on helping relieve stress: distraction, flow, and self care. Distraction helps
eliminate stress through “taking your mind off of what is stressing you” (Bowes, 2009). Flow is a
state of mind where one is completely engaged with something that they are near a meditative
state which helps leave one less stressed than they were in the beginning. (Bowes, 2009). Self-
care helps lessen stress through art therapy by having a more positive outlook on life and helping
one feel balanced by engaging in the creative process (Bowes, 2009).
Today, more and more studies are being done to help add more credible research to help
prove art therapy and its benefits. In 2004, a study using drawings was done consisting of 32
middle-aged women with heart disease. The women were asked to draw their heart with the
disease with the use of color, organization and composition that were to be studied among all of
the drawings. These drawings represented the women's knowledge about the disease and the
process the their knowledge went through in producing the image. In conclusion of this study
they were able to report that having the women draw the way the visualized their condition was
an insightful method in being able to explore one’s understandings of the issue (Guillemin,
2004). In terms of cancer and beneficial therapies, art therapy plays an extremely significant role.

3. A review by Michele Wood, Alexander Molassiotis, and Sheila Payne focused on the role of art
therapy and its contribution to the relief of symptoms such as depression, fatigue and stress it has
on cancer patients, mostly in women. Throughout their study they found that art therapy helped
women see their cancer experience more clearly and prompted a positive behavior change
(Wood, Mokassiotis, & Payne, 2010). In the conclusion of their study they reported that art
therapy helped with personal empowerment and helped strengthen their understanding (Wood, et
al., 2010). Overall the symptoms that showed improvement by art therapy were psychological,
along with quality of life,and coping (Wood, et al., 2010). There was also evidence of some
indication of fatigue and tiredness having positive effects (Wood, et al., 2010). In 2014 a study
was done with art therapy on patients with HIV/AIDS at a community based organization. The
study consisted of 255 patients who attended group art therapy sessions over a 5 year period
(Feldman, Betts, & Blausey, 2014). Within this study, their findings proved that patients
participating in art therapy showed a decrease in depression and an increase in mental health in
relation to improving one’s quality of life (Feldman, et al., 2014). Other studies done with
patients who have HIV/AIDS along with other diseased populations showed similar results such
as decreased state of negative mental health symptoms (Feldman, et al., 2014).
There are many different effective ways to apply art therapy. Several suggestions made
by Elizabeth Scott in her article about art therapy and helping to relieve stress. She had three
main suggestions for applying art therapy in terms of stress management: sketching pictures that
describe your feelings, sketching abstract pictures related to stressful experiences, and keeping
an dream sketch diary to help remember dreams so you can later understand them (Scott, 2014).
In the research studies listed above, art therapy is most effective when done over a long period of
time and very frequently. The patients with HIV/AIDS who underwent a 5 year period of

4. frequent art therapy visits showed a higher quality of life than before. Art therapy can help many
different ages, races, and genders. The main group of people who are affected as shown in my
research were people who are experiencing mental illnesses of chronic diseases. The idea that
creative expression can make a powerful contribution to the healing process has been embraced
in many different cultures. Throughout recorded history, people have used pictures, stories,
dances, and chants as healing rituals there has been much philosophical and anecdotal discussion
about the benefits of art and healing, As far as recommendations for future research, more needs
to be done in order to show an even stronger link between health benefits and art therapy. Not
enough research exists in the literature at this time and only in recent years have studies been
done to look further at the benefits of art therapy (Stuckey & Nobel, 2010). Even though art
therapy has been used for more than a century much of the published work shows little
discussion of specific outcomes (Stuckey & Nobel, 2010).
I chose this topic because one of my favorite hobbies is looking at all kinds of art. I
recently went to the Louvre in Paris was astonished at all the different types of artworks and the
different meanings it has to different people. The way one person looks at a piece of art or the
way the draw art is different for almost every person in the world and that is fascinating to me.
I agree with a lot of the information I found in that it helps heal people in different ways and
affects different types of people differently. In all the cases I studied there were results of
improvement and positive effects the only problem is that more studies and reviews need to be
done in this area to help art therapy get the credit it deserves. I have learned that art therapy is a
therapeutic way to relax the mind and express oneself in a healthy way.

5. References
About Us - American Art Therapy Association. (2013, April 4). Retrieved March 24,
2016, from http://arttherapy.org/aata-aboutus/
Bowes, E. (2009, January 14). Art therapy creatively alleviates stress. Retrieved March
24, 2016, from http://health.gmnews.com/news/2009-01-14/health/005.html
Feldman, M. B., Betts, D. J., & Blausey, D. (2014). Process and outcome evaluation of an
art therapy program for people living with HIV/AIDS. Art Therapy, 31(3), 102-109.
doi:10.1080/07421656.2014.935593
Guillemin, M. (2004). Embodying heart disease through drawings. Health: An
Interdisciplinary Journal For The Social Study Of Health, Illness & Medicine, 8(2), 223-239
17p.
Maujean, A., Pepping, C. A., & Kendall, E. (2014). A Systematic Review of Randomized
Controlled Studies of Art Therapy. Art Therapy: Journal Of The American Art Therapy
Association, 31(1), 37-44 8p. doi:10.1080/07421656.2014.873696
Scott, E. (2014, December 15). Art Therapy: Relieve Stress By Being Creative. Retrieved
March 24, 2016, from http://stress.about.com/od/funandgames/a/learningtodraw.htm
Stuckey, H. L., & Nobel, J. (2010). The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public
Health: A Review of Current Literature. American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 254–
263. http://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497
Van Lith, T., Schofield, M. J., & Fenner, P. (2013). Identifying the evidence-base for art-
based practices and their potential benefit for mental health recovery: A critical review.
Disability & Rehabilitation, 35(16), 1309-1323.
Wood, M. M., Molassiotis, A., & Payne, S. (2011). What research evidence is there for
the use of art therapy in the management of symptoms in adults with cancer? A systematic
review. Psycho-Oncology, 20(2), 135-145. doi:10.1002/pon.1722