Outcomes of art therapy and coloring for professional and informal caregivers of patients in a radiation oncology unit: A mixed methods pilot study

Abstract

Caring for cancer patients can be highly stressful for both family caregivers and oncology professionals. These high levels of stress can lead to poorer patient outcomes and increased risk of health problems for the caregivers themselves. Art therapy may help these caregivers as art-making can be a relaxing and enjoyable form of self-expression and art therapists can support individuals in expressing and processing challenging emotions. Research on art-making or art therapy with caregivers of cancer patients has shown some positive results, but its interpretation is limited by the use of multifaceted interventions. Method: In this mixed-methods study we compared two brief arts-based approaches for both professional and informal caregivers: single sessions of coloring or open-studio art therapy, with a 45-minute session each. Assessments imcluded self-reports of affect, stress, self-efficacy, anxiety, burnout arnd creative agency alongside salivary biomarkers before and after the session. Open-ended questions, field notes and observations formed the qualitative part of the study. Results: Thirty-four professional (n=25) and informal (n=9) caregivers participated. Participants in both conditions showed increases in positive affect, creative agency, and self-efficacy and decreases in negative affect, anxiety, perceived stress, and burnout. Participants in both conditions expressed enjoyment, relaxation, appreciation of time away from stressors, creative problem solving, a sense of flow, and personal and existential insight. The two approaches also elicited distinct experiences with participants reporting that they found improved focus in coloring and appreciated the support and freedom of expression in open studio art therapy. Conclusions: These findings suggest that even brief art-making interventions can be beneficial for stressed caregivers of cancer patients. As experience with art-making increased the impact, repeated sessions may be even more useful. We recommend that oncology units have dedicated studio spaces with therapeutic support and different forms of art-making available to meet individual caregiver needs.

Outcomes of Therapeutic Artmaking in Patients Undergoing Radiation Oncology Treatment: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

“…In the coloring condition, the relaxation and improved well-being likely came from the experience of distraction and completing a focused task. These findings align with those of Holt et al, 39 as well as Kaimal et al, 40 which suggested that coloring supports increased focus and mindfulness. Drake and Winner 41 identified distraction as a process of improved outcomes in individual visual expression.…”

“…Patients resolved initial feelings of anxiety as they engaged in open art through their session and established a sense of creative agency and self-efficacy. 20,40 With the support of an art therapist, patients can become familiarized with the different qualities of art materials and how to successfully achieve desired effects with art materials. Open studio may also assist patients in the exploration of existential and spiritual concerns.…”

“…Open studio may also assist patients in the exploration of existential and spiritual concerns. 7,40 Through open studio artmaking, participants developed personal imagery and symbols that reflected existential and spiritual meanings related to their lives, relationships, illness, and healing experiences. Disclosure of these concerns took place on both visual and verbal levels as patients described their experiences both literally and metaphorically.…”

Mitigating Burnout in an Oncological Unit: A Scoping Review

“…A total of 2015 hits were retrieved. After deleting duplicates (N = 386), irrelevant papers (N = 580), and exclusions (N = 915), we found 17 studies eligible to be included in this scoping review as shown in Figure 1 (3,15,(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46).…”

“…It has been reported that the use of art treatment therapies in the form of coloring, dedicated open art studio with therapeutic support within the oncological unit, psychodrama, and relaxation increase the oncologist in self-care and decreases anxiety, perceived stress, and burnout in both oncologist and family caregivers (15,40). Interestingly, participants with interest (or experience) in art-making were found to benefit more from this intervention (40). The motive behind the art-making intervention is to shift the attention of the stressed personnel away from their worries (40).…”