Art therapy is defined by the American Psychological Association as “therapeutic interventions that use artistic endeavors or mediums, such as music, poetry, dance, and drama, to facilitate communication and emotional expression, enhance self-awareness, and foster health and change.” The aim of art therapy is to facilitate children’s personal growth through the use of different medias; such as drawing, painting, digital art, etc.
A major challenge when it comes to mental health is a person’s limited understanding and ability to safely express their feelings, and this can be enhanced in children due to their limited vocabulary and knowledge. When children are not able to express their negative feelings, not only emotional, but behavioral issues arise. A potential solution is art therapy!
This article referred to multiple studies. One included focused on the realization of one’s self concept and transformation. This included mask making to express feelings, transform clay volcanoes into mountains to relieve anger, and coloring. The results suggested improvements from the parent’s and child’s perspective.
Overall, there are still a lot of unknowns of the benefits and factors affecting art therapy. This leaves a lot of room for future studies on the effectiveness of art therapy for children!
If you want to read more about other studies of art therapy, click here!
Kaitlyn Vitucci
UConn KIDS, Research Assistant