Trends in Research on Art Therapy Indexed in the Web of Science: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Aim: Despite the increase in international research in art therapy, few studies have been developed with a bibliometric approach which describe the situation regarding this area of knowledge. Thus, the aim of this study is to describe and contextualize international scientific production in the visual arts modality in the context of artistic therapies, to offer a broader and more in-depth vision of the structure of this area of knowledge through of a bibliometric analysis of the publications indexed in the core collection of the Web of Science.Methods: This is a retrospective, exploratory and descriptive, cross-sectional study to analyze the bibliographic data retrieved from the databases of the core collection. The analysis parameters included the data corresponding to the production according to type of document, country, journal, and institution. In addition, the main lines of research were located and classified and the subject matter of the most cited articles in each of them was summarized. Four periods were selected, between 1994 and 2020, to facilitate the thematic analysis and offer an evolutionary perspective of art therapy research.Results: A total of 563 works were published, in 250 journals, in the 63 years between 1958, when the first document was published, and April 2021. The annual growth rate was 7.3% with a mean average of 8.7 publications per year, and 83.13% of the published works were articles. A total of 1,269 authors from 56 countries were counted. The mean number of citations per document was 5.6 and the mean number of citations per document and year was 0.6. The main research domains were psychology and/or rehabilitation and the highest production on this topic was concentrated in only three journals. In general, a high degree of variability was observed in the study topics and numerous theoretical and methodological articles. The most used visual arts modalities were in the main drawing, painting and photography.Conclusion: This work did not find previous existence of any bibliometric analysis on the international scientific production in art therapy. In general terms, there has been a substantial growth in the number of publications on the subject over the last decade. However, this research area does not appear to have peaked, but, on the contrary, is still growing and progressing despite its long history in clinical practice.

New Art Therapy Technology – Quilling

“…It should be noted that the most commonly used forms of fine arts are drawing, painting, and photography. In the case of fine art in the form of drawing, illustration, painting, collage, photography, and sculpture, it is used not only as a tool for clinical intervention but also as a diagnostic tool, which gives fine art a universal and innovative character and distinguishes it from other modalities of art therapy (Novo et al, 2021). The essence of collage as an art therapy technique is to create images by combining various photographs, newspaper or magazine clippings, fabrics, coloured paper, wood, wire, and rope, which captivates and relaxes both a child and an adult.…”

A bibliometric and visualization analysis on the association between chronic exposure to fine particulate matter and cancer risk

“…Alanine aminotransferase acted as a mediator between PM 2.5 and HCC ( 29 ). On account of its tiny size, PM 2.5 can travel into the human body by respiration or ingestion and then have access to blood ( 8 ), suggesting that PM 2.5 exposure was significantly associated with several cancer-specific mortalities, including those of the oral cavity and nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon rectum, liver, gallbladder, larynx, lung, bone, skin, female breast, cervix, prostate, brain, and leukemia ( 12 ). Therefore, “fine,” “human health,” and “air quality” were included.…”

“…The bibliometric analysis combined objective procedures like performance analysis with subjective ones such as thematic analysis to assess article performance, collaboration among authors, institutions, and countries, and recent research hotspots with future directions ( 12 ). Bibliometric software like VOSviewer, HistCite, CiteSpace, and Gephi makes the aforementioned analysis possible and effective; it is widely used in this field.…”

Art Therapy with the Extent of Health Promotion

“…In another study examining a total of 563 works on art therapy in the visual arts, it was determined that painting, painting, and photography were the most used modalities in the field of visual arts for art therapy purposes. In these studies, it was concluded that art therapy had effects that improve rehabilitation and reduce psychological distress in patients [34]. Different clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include art therapy as an indication with recommended evidence.…”

“…The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) presents art therapy as an indication with evidence. Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) has accepted art therapy as a nursing intervention since the beginning of the 21st century [34,35].…”