The proportion of students studying in higher education institutions who are experiencing mental health needs is increasing and becoming a serious concern. Using participatory arts projects may be key to enabling students to maintain well-being despite the pressures inherent in their student role. Therefore, this study aimed to ascertain whether…

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 (CAT) has increasingly gained attention. In this study, we investigated the experiences of six Chinese students in a study abroad program for creative arts therapy in South Korea.…

Art therapy and medical students (N = 45) participated in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to: (1) enhance observation skills, (2) examine interdisciplinary approaches to assessment, (3) determine VTS' impact on awareness of implicit bias. Quantitative and qualitative questionnaires and a post-procedure reflective focus group evaluated…

The study examined the Bird's Nest Drawing (BND) of 14 adults who experienced child sexual abuse perpetrated by females, primarily their mothers. Descriptive analysis revealed the prevalence of insecure attachment and mainly an ambivalent representation. The drawings reflected vulnerability and under-protectiveness. Almost one-third of the…

This qualitative study addressed the problem of lack of racial and ethnic diversity in American graduate art therapy programs. Seven current art therapy students or recent graduates of color from one predominantly White institution participated in individual semi-structured interviews and a group meeting. Results of thematic analysis yielded four…

Medical students report high levels of psychological distress compared to the general population, yet they also underutilize mental health services. Our Mindfulness-Based Art Workshops (MBAW) combine two established, formal interventions: (a) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, an 8-week group series teaching mindfulness practices, shown to reduce…

Art therapy is an alternative therapeutic intervention implemented with individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Researchers, therapists, and parents suggest that art therapy is an effective treatment for targeting social and communicative behaviors. However, there is a paucity of evidence-based research to support this claim. A…

Sexuality is negotiated through intimate and familial relationships within larger systems of culture and society. In contemporary Iran, religion and cultural upbringing exert a large influence on women's sexual development. This article presents a case study of a young adult, single woman in Iran who participated in online, client-centered art…

This quantitative study investigated whether a "mandala set" consisting of 143 mandalas drawn by art therapy graduate students depicts archetypal patterns and stages as defined by Kellogg's "Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of the Mandala" and if these patterns explain events in their professional development. Eight…

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk of progression to dementia. Whether it is feasible to engage this population in expressive arts therapy and yield effects on cognition and depression for older adults with MCI remained unclear. The aim of this study examined the effects of expressive arts therapy on the…

Addictions professionals are at risk for compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. This arts-based research, enhanced with qualitative processes, explored the experience and benefits of El Duende process painting (EDPP) in clinical supervision with art therapists. Supervision consisted of eight sessions. Data included interviews and…

This novel study pushed forth current research by evaluating the effects of a clay art therapy (CAT) program on emotion regulation and the level of hair cortisol as a physiological response. Forty-one students aged 15-17 years with at least a mild form of emotional problems were randomized into a CAT group and a waitlist control (CON) group. The…

Manual-based phenomenological art therapy (PATd) was developed to facilitate recovery from depression. The study's aim was to investigate whether improvements were maintained 6 months after PATd was completed. In a randomized controlled study design, persons diagnosed with moderate or severe depression (n = 85) were invited to take part; n = 79…

This randomized controlled study examined the effects of creating open circle mandalas with divergent instruction type (distraction and reflection) and medium type (resistive and fluid) on state anxiety, mood, and mindfulness. The design followed a 2 (instruction type) x 2 (medium type) x 3 (time) mixed experimental design. Reflective writing…

The Compassionate Arts Psychotherapy (CAP) program integrates self-compassion and arts psychotherapy practices, which are informed by a compassionate arts media (CAM) continuum. A mixed methods pilot program evaluation with a pretest-posttest single group design, followed by an open-ended survey, was conducted. Participants included 18 graduate…