Art Therapy in Pandemics: Lessons for COVID-19

Abstract

To help art therapists work effectively with the realities of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), this special report brings together art therapists who have experience working in pandemics (Ebola, SARS), attending to health professionals, and building creative virtual communities. Art therapists can support recommended public health psychosocial guidelines by disseminating information, promoting expression and inspiration, challenging stigma, modulating media input, securing family connections, monitoring secondary traumatic stress, developing coping and resilience, maintaining relationships, and amplifying hope.

The challenges and experiences of psychotherapists working remotely during the coronavirus* pandemic

“…Bao, Sun, Meng, Shi, and Lu (2020) refer to Chinese learnings and findings, for instance with regard to attempts by the Chinese Government to improve public awareness about mental health. Potash, Kalmanowitz, Fung, Anand, and Miller (2020) build on art therapists’ previous experiences from working with Ebola and SARS to ‘help art therapists work effectively with the realities of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19)’.…”

Arts-Based Interventions for Professionals in Caring Roles During and After Crisis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…For example, Huss et al ( 2010 ) provides arts-based psychoeducation for social workers, focusing on trauma and the impact of working in war zones. Potash et al ( 2020 ) also describe the wider role of arts in educating populations about the impact of pandemics, to counter the impact of social media and news that might provoke fear and anxiety. In Cambodia (Herbert, 2018 ), there was a description of a thorough collaborative analysis of the needs of the individual, team and organization following the crisis.…”

“…In some contexts, arts were considered as being more culturally acceptable than verbal interventions, where there is a cultural heritage of healing arts, such as singing, embroidery, brush work and body movement (Ho et al, 2014 ). As (Herbert, 2018 , p. 226) puts it, “The arts naturally contextualize into individual and collective culture and provide an inherently natural medium within which to explore complex systemic issues.” The other side of this is that there are often care workers who feel that they exist outside of the cultures of the people that they are caring for and that existing mental health or care services are not meant for them (Potash et al, 2020 ) and their usual informal support systems are no longer available due to the crisis. As described previously, the review suggested that stigmatization relating to mental health services and psychological treatments is also an issue for some cultures (Ho et al, 2014 ).…”

New Title and Horizons for theCanadian Journal of Art Therapy: Research, Practice, and Issues(Nouveau titre et horizons pour laRevue canadienne d'art-thérapie : recherche, pratique et enjeux)

“…In a 2017 survey, Canadians reported that using Internet-supported communication increased access to information, saved time, and supported creativity (Statistics Canada, 2017). Along with these benefits, there are potential negative impacts, such as dependence on digital technology Internet usage, although virtual art therapy becomes important during protective physical distancing measures (Canadian Mental Health Association, n.d.; Potash et al, 2020) Recognizing both benefits and drawbacks to digital technology, Lay (2020), an artist, art therapist, and instructor, describes a multidimensional art, culture, and mental health collaboration between post-graduate art therapy students in Singapore, an artist, and himself. The aims of this arts-based research and project was to "champion the art in art therapy training … to purposefully address technologies and the increasing addiction to digital media … " (Lay, 2020, p. 82).…”

“…While respecting changing physical distancing measures and understanding the impacts of social isolation, art therapists are creatively thinking outside of the box of traditional art therapy and materials (Potash et al, 2020). Based on collective experiences with pandemics and epidemics, such as Ebola and SARS, Potash et al (2020) believe that art therapists can help, not only through finding ways to deliver in-person therapy, but also through challenging stigma, promoting inspirational art making, and developing online communities of support and art creation. Open art studios, such as Art Hives (Escobedo et al, 2020), have offered practical guidance on how to ethically support online open art studios.…”