Art therapy with children and adolescents experiencing acute or severe mental health conditions: A systematic review

Objective: Art therapy offers a predominantly non-verbal form of creative self-expression for people experiencing mental health issues. This systematic review aims to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of art therapy for children and adolescents experiencing acute or severe mental health conditions. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, five electronic databases were searched (Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, PsychINFO, CINAHL) using the search terms (‘art therap*’ OR ‘art psychotherap*’) AND (‘child*’ OR ‘adolescen*’ OR ‘youth’ OR ‘young’ OR ‘teen*’). Study quality was assessed based on methodological rigour, and narrative synthesis of findings was undertaken. Results: Of 3529 identified articles, 90 (23 original research papers and 67 case studies) met criteria. Art therapy delivery method, dose and intervention duration varied across studies. Nonetheless, synthesis of the 23 original research studies indicated high acceptability. Randomised control trials demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the severity of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidal ideation. Quasi-experimental, cohort and cross-sectional studies also showed reductions in anxiety symptoms and improvements in emotion regulation, self-awareness, distress tolerance, confidence, communication and self-expression across various mental health conditions. Conclusion: Art therapy is an effective and acceptable treatment for young people experiencing acute or severe mental health conditions, with a preponderance of evidence for post-traumatic stress disorder. Effectiveness across conditions, settings and art therapy intervention type suggests the capacity of art therapy to adapt to needs of young people. Enhanced access to art therapy for young people navigating acute distress will support the provision of engaging and effective mental health treatments.