Is There a Biofeedback Response to Art Therapy? A Technology-Assisted Approach for Reducing Anxiety and Stress in College Students

Abstract

College students are exposed to daily stressors throughout their academic careers, which can have lasting consequences to their health and well-being. Mindfulness practices, art therapy, and the simple act of manipulating clay have independently demonstrated positive effects on stress and anxiety, but there is little research on the feasibility of incorporating these into an online resource for students to proactively address their mental health. In this pilot study, full-time university students (N = 15) were randomly assigned to a mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) program that used clay for all art directives or an unstructured, undirected neutral clay-manipulating task (NCT) for 10 weeks. Anxiety symptoms, salivary cortisol concentrations, and perceived levels of stress were assessed. Within-group analysis demonstrated significant decreases in anxiety symptoms and cortisol concentrations for MBAT participants, with no significant decrease in perceived stress. NCT participants experienced a significant decrease in cortisol concentrations on Week 1 but not on Week 10, with no other statistical significance in outcomes detected. Between-group analysis generated no significant interactions between variables. Based on these results, the structure of a therapist-directed online MBAT program using clay has the capacity to elicit anxiety-reducing benefits and may produce a trained biofeedback response for combating stress, offering a feasible strategy for addressing the mental health crisis on college campuses.

Chinese Flower and Bird Painting: A New Form of Art Therapy for Depression

“…It is a painting form closest to the Chinese people's aesthetic and cultural ideals. Being under chronic stress may have a seriously negative impact on a person's overall health (Beerse et al, 2019). Whether for an artist or a beginner, appreciation for and creation of Chinese flower and bird paintings can bring lasting euphoria and physical fitness, which are conducive to fostering a strong and optimistic attitude.…”

Therapeutic psychological and biological responses to mindfulness‐based art therapy

“…The results of the study suggest that this MBAT intervention not only effectively reduces anxiety and stress, but the delivery strategy lends itself to several valuable clinical applications. Supporting the limited findings of the original pilot study (Beerse, Van Lith, & Stanwood, ), students in the MBAT group reported significant decreases in their symptoms of anxiety and perceived stress, while students in the NCT group did not. Salivary cortisol concentrations significantly decreased pre‐ to post‐intervention for both groups, but indications of these findings are ultimately inconclusive.…”

“…(b) Will the MBAT group experience greater decreases in levels of anxiety and perceived stress? Based on preliminary data from a previous pilot study (Beerse, Van Lith, & Stanwood, ), the researchers hypothesized that statistical analysis of outcome measures would affirm the research questions.…”

The Use of Islamic Patterned Art Therapy: Healing of Psychological Problems Among University Students

“…University students have to go through every day stressors all through their scholarly careers which can have enduring results to their health and well-being. A study conducted on university students in Florida state university USA revealed that art therapy helped in the significant decrease of the symptoms of anxiety and not in the level of stress (Beerse et al 2019 ). Comes about of the ponder shown that from pre-test to post-test measures, it was evidenced that this therapy was found effective for the decline in depression, anxiety, stress and increase in psychological well-being of the sample of the university students.…”