Role of Art Therapy in the Promotion of Mental Health: A Critical Review

Abstract

Art therapy is used most commonly to treat mental illnesses and can aid in controlling manifestations correlated with psychosocially challenging behaviours, slowing cognitive decline, and enhancing the quality of life. Art therapy can help people express themselves more freely, improve their mental health, and improve interpersonal relationships. The basis of art therapy is established on the idea that people can recover and feel better via artistic expression. This review examines the current research on how active participation in the arts might improve mental health. A detailed literature search was carried out utilizing essential databases such as PubMed, the WHO's mental health database, and Google and Google Scholar. This review study looks into research done on art therapy and its potential advantages for adult mental health rehabilitation. It focuses on visual art therapy since it's a key to reducing variation within the "creative arts" and defines the peculiar elements and effectiveness of art therapy used by mental health services. It was found that the use of art therapy as an adjunct treatment showed improved mental health in patients.

Acting and Dancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic as Art Therapy for the Rehabilitation of Children with Behavioural Disorders Living in Socially Disadvantaged Environments

“…The drama therapy method that was used in this pilot project proved to be a valid approach for helping participants with psychological post-traumatic stress to improve their mental health, as another study with a related approach also suggests [44]. Art therapy has also proved to have good potential in improving the behaviour of children in this endeavour, a result that is in agreement with another academic publication [17].…”

Exploring Art Therapy in Helping Profession

“…This is second by other researches that indicates helping professionals use art as a form of development and therapy for individuals who suffer from illness, trauma, or other challenges in life, or who simply seek personal growth. It has been demonstrated that engaging in artistic expression helps people recover from traumatic experiences, enhance their cognitive abilities, and find more joy in life (Chang et al, 2019;Shukla et al, 2022). Also, numerous art therapists concur that the act of creative in art itself has healing properties (Bostancioğlu & Kahraman, 2017;Gilmour et al, 2020;Hemingway et al, 2018).…”

Individuals’ Attitudes Toward Digital Mental Health Apps and Implications for Adoption in Portugal: Web-Based Survey

“…Moreover, we hypothesize that another important factor in ascertaining these expectations and perceptions might be whether, in an era of ever-increasing connectivity and access to information, some already have certain coping or mental health-enhancing strategies in place [40][41][42]. Art therapy, comprising painting, drawing, coloring, and photography, can be effectively used in coping leisure strategies to aid in managing mental health.…”