When people experience significant physical or mental health problems, they may have difficulty expressing their experiences in words. Art therapists help people explore and process overwhelming thoughts, feelings, and experiences through the creation of art.
Art therapy can be used to treat many physical and mental illnesses. This is due to its health benefits, such as increased self-awareness, increased social connections and emotional regulation, and reduced levels of stress, pain, and anxiety.
Findings from a study published in the Journal of Mental Health found that art therapy was associated with positive outcomes for children and adolescents admitted to a hospital psychiatric unit.
Art therapy is an accessible treatment option for people who cannot verbally express their experiences. This practice has improved outcomes for people who have experienced trauma, people with eating disorders, and children with dementia, schizophrenia, and autism.
Art therapy also helped improve the condition of people with cardiovascular diseases and those who suffered traumatic brain injuries. It has also been associated with improved mood and reduced anxiety in hospitalized patients and reduced pain, fatigue, and depression in palliative care patients.
In a recent study, researchers analyzed more than six years of data from a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital unit in Australia. They found a clear link between the provision of art therapy and reducing the frequency of ward isolation, physical restraint and sedative injections. This practice may have reduced people’s stress levels.
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Source: Ferra
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