Comparison of Coloring and Art Therapy with Patients with Gastrointestinal Symptoms

To compare the effects of coloring versus art therapy on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, we randomly assigned 17 patients with symptoms to one of two eight-week, virtual groups. Both the coloring and art therapy groups showed improvement in anxiety levels, gastroparesis symptoms, and sleep quality. The coloring group reported increases in sleep satisfaction, meaningful relationships, improved postprandial fullness, lower swallowing stress, and decreased abdominal pain. The art therapy group showed a non-significant, larger, and week-to-week decrease in anxiety. Further studies are needed to examine the role of art therapy in decreasing anxiety for those with GI symptoms.