how does art help students mental healthhow does art help students mental health

I appreciate the sentiments of this article, but there are some serious misunderstandings about what Art Therapy actually is. If the activities are done in a group, they are excellent for building healthy connections with other people, which may be very helpful if you are fighting depression. It can be a form of journaling, and like journaling, it can be cathartic, creative, and stress relieving. Since the focus is on the process and not the final product, art therapy is not about becoming a great artist but about finding meaning and connection in your life. We are facing huge public health challenges in the UK. Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other authoritative resources. What are the feelings that these images contain? Its thought that intelligence depends more on the number of brain connections than the size of the brain. While art therapy is its own field, you can also use self-directed art to express your creative side, reduce stress, and get in touch with your feelings. Creativity makes us feel good about ourselves. Some people find it difficult or dont enjoy the practice of drawing, painting, or writing but there are endless ways to practice art. Enhance quality of life among adult cancer patients. It wasnt until Wardrip began a graduate school program, Creative Pulse at the University of Montana, that she began to heal from her depression. This 25% discount includes free shipping worldwide. Cooper, a retired graphic designer and amateur folk musician who leads a grant-funded art program for cancer patients at Baltimores Mercy Medical Center, is a highly social person. But I suspect there's something deeper going on. Great point, Sarah. I battled in silence for years until finally coming out about my struggles. other serious physical and mental health conditions. I love how you explained that anybody can try art therapy as long as they are honest with themselves and their emotions. "This act of imagination is actually an act of survival," she says. Cookie Settings, The Real History Behind the Archimedes Dial in 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny', See 11 Breathtaking Bird Images From the Audubon Photography Awards, How One Man Accidentally Killed the Oldest Tree Ever, Forensic Artist Reconstructs the Face of a Teenager Who Lived 1,300 Years Ago, Eight Menacing Saber-Toothed Creatures That Stalked the Earth Long Ago. It was not until a year later that I stumbled on an article that talked about the link between mental health and creativity. Creating art provides a distraction, giving the brain a break from its usual thoughts. He developed informal art workshops to help both patients and staff cope better, through writing and painting, with whatever was happening to them. Art therapy, as a non-pharmacological medical complementary and alternative therapy, has been used as one of medical interventions with good clinical effects on mental disorders. "She was despairing. Through understanding the process of self-imaging, students can start to identify the difference between reality and presentation. Despite these findings, theres an equity gap in arts education. By nearly every metric, student mental health is worsening. Crafting hobbies of all kinds knitting, quilting, sewing, calligraphy, woodworking, gardening, and do-it-yourself home repair increase dopamine, ward off depression, and protect the brain from aging. In my program, I was challenged to do the most important thing I could do for myself, which helped me open up about my depression and suicidal tendencies. Her group combines creative process with psychological theory. A hot weather plan is essential to staying healthy, Young men with prostate cancer: Socioeconomic factors affect lifespan, Talking to your doctor about your LGBTQ+ sex life, Image: Katherine A. Gallagher Integrative Therapies Art Therapy Program at the Mass. She wrote about this in October in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. Kaimal G, Ray K, Muniz J. By Cindy Jenkins, Extension Assistant Professor, Blomdahl, C., Guregrd, S., Rusner, M., & Wijk, H. (2021). Early music lessons enhance brain plasticity and connectivity. Health Technol Assess. 'How art can help students explore mental health' Mental health issues are on the rise - but art can help students analyse their own experiences, writes Hannah Day 19th June 2018, 5:30pm Hannah Day Mental health issues are on the rise in the post-16 sector, as Tes reported earlier this month. Keywords: Image: Katherine A. Gallagher Integrative Therapies Art Therapy Program at the Mass. Yes, I agree to the authors and experts that arts is a therapy. However, giving respect to formal therapy, I imagine that it depends on the definition of art therapy. After my husband passed away, I picked up a pencil one day and began to draw. Taking even a few minutes on a regular basis to devote to a hobby can give you more of what you need in this area. Art therapy can be used to improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Self-esteem: The process will give you a feeling of self-accomplishment which can be very valuable to improve your self-appreciation and confidence. Now, when you buy a 3-month supply of any Performance Lab supplement, you get an extra month free. For many students, being surrounded by a community of nonjudgmental listeners helps them open up, and kids who once felt afraid begin to feel brave, according to Wardrip. Her theory builds off of an idea developed in the last few years that our brain is a predictive machine. Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Research shows that the arts can be used to create a unique cognitive shift into a holistic state of mind called flow, a state of optimal engagement first identified in artists, that is mentally pleasurable and neurochemically rewarding. I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month. Anyone can benefit from creating art, but sometimes its best to seek professional care for help with your problems. Were diving into the powerful impact art can have on your life. Out-of-the-box thinking also stimulates the brain to grow new neurons. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. This meditative-like state focuses your mind and temporarily pushes aside all your worries. Her words made me reflect on all those moments when I reached into my purse for my pen and sketchbook. Art therapy can help people express themselves more freely, improve their mental health, and improve interpersonal relationships. Recommended: Upgrading brain health is key to making your brain work better. I have spent the past several years exploring this idea and teaching it to others in my community. Her journey taught her that shame often prevents people from seeking psychological care. You're so in the moment and fully present that you forget all sense of time and space," she says. And as individuals continue to work through the mental health challenges brought on by the pandemicwhich triggered a 25 percent increase in depression and anxiety around the globe, according to the World Health Organizationthis niche therapy is poised to become even more popular. Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Creating art trains you to concentrate on details and pay more attention to your environment. Not only did it provide relief from my grief, but continues to be my passion today. To practice mindful art, you can simply start creating or choose a piece of art as inspiration for your own creation. Parenting is one of the most complex and challenging jobs you'll face in your lifetime -- but also the most rewarding. Live a brain-healthy lifestyle first (Be Brain Fit tells you how). Art has also been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in aging adults. Boost your memory and your ability to learn. In AATAs May 2020 coronavirus impact report, therapists pointed out that individuals are simply tired of talking about the pandemic and such feelingsand, because of all-day meetings on Zoom, talking in general. Dance has always been my way to express and the best way to release my stress. You dont have to have any particular artistic skills to get started. You might consider art therapy if you are experiencing any of these situations: Art therapy is also recommended for children or teens who are having personal problems or trouble in school. Gazit I, Snir S, Regev D, Or MB. Art allowed patients to forget about their illness for a while, letting them focus on positive life experiences. The benefits of visual arts programs are equally impressive. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. All of these students are searching for someone who can understand their suffering. Art therapy is used most commonly to treat mental illnesses and can aid in controlling manifestations correlated with psychosocially challenging behaviours, slowing cognitive decline, and enhancing the quality of life. The paper also showed that there were no differences in health outcomes between people who identify as experienced artists and people who don't. Then you can burn it, rip it up, cover it up with something new that inspires you, throw it away, put it in water, or destroy it in any way you please. Children with musical training perform better in math, language, and reading. I am a student art psychotherapist and only started studying because of my experience of using art as a therapy, and while you dont have to do art as a therapy with a therapist there is definitely a lot of evidence to support seeing a therapist and using art in the therapeutic space. But talking about mental health can make people feel vulnerable, especially adolescents. Health Technol Assess. But as Cooper spent more time thinking about her mental health, she began to deeply contemplate the therapists questions, including one about growth. Front Psychol. I thought about it and knew I was going to have to make some hard decisions in order to grow, that if I kept on the same track, things were not going to get any better, says Cooper, who is 66. Myself. How do you feel when you are creating art? Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. And doing so has been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in healthy older people. That is interesting that art can help me acknowledge feelings that have been lurking in my subconscious. Here, we searched on PubMed for art therapy in an attempt to explore its theoretical . Another myth is that you have to work with an art therapist to experience any emotional benefits from creating art. The best part is, art is something everyone can participate in. I truly appreciate this article! Many art therapists are supportive of the movement and believe that coloring can act as a gateway to reach more people who can benefit from art therapy. A popular art trend for stress relief is adult coloring books. During each gathering, Wardrip shares phrases like, Remember, you dont feel better by feeling less and Your thoughts are always valid. Using these prompts, she invites students to begin a discussion. "It's that sense of losing yourself, losing all awareness. Both of these allow space for students struggling with personal concerns - regarding body image, status and pressure from their peers - to explore and discuss our image-focused world in terms of process and outcome alongside the reality of everyday life. I carefully ripped the message off the page and affixed it to the seat in front of me on the bus. Increase your capacity to think critically, solve problems, and make decisions. Spence described being a patient as a form of infantilisation, and photography as her way of reclaiming control. Ultimately, says Kaimal, making art should induce what the scientific community calls "flow" the wonderful thing that happens when you're in the zone. As one therapist noted in the survey, many clients welcome expressing themselves using art materials, giving their brains a new task and their mouths a break., Making art is a hands-on process that requires total focus, which means it also offers a break from screentime, which surged during the pandemic. Learn more about the many benefits and features of joining Harvard Health Online , Find the best treatments and procedures for you, Explore options for better nutrition and exercise. How art can help students explore mental health. Covid-19 has impacted students' well-being, mental health, and learning since the pandemic began in March of 2020. PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts. During the 2020-2021 school year, more than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem, according to the Healthy Minds Study, which collects data from 373 campuses nationwide (Lipson, S. K., et al., Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. And ultimately, interpreting the images figuring out what it means. Can Poetry Keep You Young? It validates our unique ideas and our ability to turn ideas into something physical. And I will definitely check out those information resources! 2015 Aug 10;74:27672. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v74.27672. A burst of dopamine gives you that I did it! feeling when you accomplish what you set out to do. Why does it feel so nice? There are a lot of misconceptions about what constitutes art and its usefulness as a therapeutic tool. Thank you for sharing your experience. Here's How To Start A Habit, Can Poetry Keep You Young? 2016;33(2):74-80. doi:10.1080/07421656.2016.1166832, Cheron G. How to Measure the Psychological Flow? "Use the feelings that you feel in your body, your memories. It is an important part of my self-care practice. Expressive arts, such as visual arts, movement, drama, music, and writing, foster deep personal growth and community development. Dopamine has been called the motivation molecule, since itboosts drive, focus, and concentration. Studies have shown that expression through art can help people with depression, anxiety, and stress. Music makes you smarter, happier, and more productive at any age. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health, plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise, pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, andmore. Your brains ability to grow connections and change throughout your lifetime is called brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity. Thank you for reading the blog and commenting. 2021;12:686005. Some people can put their feelings into words beautifully, but most of us cannot. Adults who have experienced some kind of trauma have tried it as well. Emotional release: The greatest benefit of art therapy is giving you a healthy outlet for expressing and letting go all your feelings and fears. I disagree with Leslies comment You cannot do art therapy on your own, as the process is something that a trained professional needs to encourage.. Art has an incredible way of connecting the world and allowing us to express ourselves. A number of studies have shown that coloring inside a shape specifically a pre-drawn geometric mandala design is more effective in boosting mood than coloring on a blank paper or even coloring inside a square shape. It might serve an evolutionary purpose. Kathak has shown me a way to confidence and acceptance. If thats the case, check out this list of 100 Art Therapy Exercises. I have learned so much from the article and I enjoyed it deeply. Eventually, Coopers depression got so bad that she had to be hospitalized. The basis of art therapy is established on the idea that people can recover and feel better via artistic expression. Further, engagement in the arts can increase self-esteem . Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone (Unabridged ed.). As Mallory Braus and Brenda Morton wrote in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy in 2020, In art therapy, mindfulness is what allows an individual to receive the therapeutic benefit of tuning out the daily stress and anxiety and to focus on a single task while also focusing on the materials employed for self-expression.. MeSH Studies suggest that art therapy can be very valuable in treating issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and even some phobias. For most of us, its not possible to visit an art museum every day, but you can easily get a daily dose of culture with the Daily Art app. I will definitely check out your site, thank you for sharing! Making art as a form of mental health treatment dates back to the mid-20th century, when soldiers returning from the battlefields of World War II were left with a condition that was known as shell shock, but is now called post-traumatic stress disorder. This meta-study found that music and visual arts affected patients in these positive ways: John Graham-Pole, MD, is a retired pediatric oncologist who wrote poetry to process some of the grim realities he faced working at a hospital. Most of us understood the power of art instinctively as kids: Virtually all children know the joys of sculpting something with play-dough, painting something with fingers, or drawing with crayons and other materials. All you need are some magazines, newspapers, or old images around your house. "She looked at that black sheet of paper and stared at it for some time," says Kaimal. For instance, this has worked to gently transition military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) into art therapy. Through that session and through creating art, says Kaimal, the student was able to imagine possibilities and see a future beyond the present moment in which she was despairing and depressed. The pandemic brought up many difficult-to-define feelings and emotions, and making art in the presence of a licensed therapist can be a mindful, low-tech way to work through them. I was inspired by nature rather than a therapist and I found the various projects that I worked on as immensely beneficial. It happens to be exactly what I need NOW! Hu J, Zhang J, Hu L, Yu H, Xu J. By Elizabeth Scott, PhD This brain supplement meets all 12 of my requirements for a high-quality brain supplement, including effectiveness, safety, purity, and value. "Students can be closed off, especially if they feel like outcasts,"says Wardrip. Art allows space for students to explore their lives and experiences. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in this article or linked to herein. The reason? Studies have shown that expressing themselves through art can help people with depression, anxiety, or cancer, too. Im glad to hear you found relief from PTSD by exploring your creativity, without the aid of therapy. St Pauls Place, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 2JE. I sketch at the coffee shop before work. Much of the research draws on the anecdotal experiences of clinicians and patients, and many studies have had small sample sizes, Kaimal notes. The best part of your blog for me is when you said that doing art could allow you to slow down and deal with the issues that you are having. Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. What if it sucks? By photographing her experiences and her changing body, Spence did two things: she repositioned herself back to the centre of the experience, giving her a sense of control, and this sense led to her taking back control and exploring her own possibilities for recovery. Studies have shown that taking part in creative arts activities can benefit your mental health and wellbeing. Another excellent option is Google Arts & Culture, a curated digital archive of great artworks from over 2,000 museums around the world. Art has also been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in aging adults. Art can help kids express themselves and understand the world around them. They improve overall behavior and reduce impulsiveness. Here's my answer: #1 Live a brain-healthy lifestyle first (Be Brain Fit tells you how). Chilvers, S., Chesterman, N., & Lim, A. Art is not only to help them to relieve stress but also to boost their self-esteem. Although theyre not required to participate, most of them do. In this article, we will take a closer look at art therapy and discuss its mental health benefits. Check out this YouTube video, Can Art Be Medicine?, that shows some real-life examples of how art is used as therapy. -. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Hey, I dont lowkey agree with Leslie. A lot of my free time is spent doodling. In The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature, researchers analyzed and reported on the findings of over 100 studies conducted on the benefits of art for physical and psychological health. By asking students to photographically document their experiences, spaces and themselves, it forces them to observe their place of education, both physically (the space), emotionally (the feelings that these images capture) and procedurally (or structurally). The most complicated functions that humans perform, such as thinking creatively, learning a language, or playing or listening to music, all require whole-brain thinking. Because words don't often get it.". Posted on April 11, 2022 by Katauna Jayde Loeuy. Spence began work as a high-street photographer and saw how people presented themselves to camera. I am glad to hear that you have found a creative outlet to help cope with your depression and that you are using your voice to give hope to others through your blog. Block out the other thoughts and distractions in your life and give yourself a set amount of time to make art or enjoy it. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics. The movie demonstrates how drawing and painting stimulated memories in people with dementia and enabled them to reconnect with the world. Three teenage girls were found slumped in a car in the parking lot of a rural Tennessee high school last month, hours before graduation ceremonies. Eventually, Wardrip opened up to close family and friends. The effect of active visual art therapy on health outcomes: protocol of a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Experiences like trauma are very difficult to articulate into words, so therapies that can support and connect patients with nonverbal expression are really the foundation of the creative arts therapies.. And that catharsis gave me a sense of relief. I was not encouraged or in any way influenced by a therapist. This process of researching, contextualising, understanding and applying allows students to use an artists method as a template. During art therapy, they dont have to say a word if they dont want tobut they can still work through their emotions. We hear this question often. Written by Deane Alban. And though no one knows exactly why prehistoric individuals felt compelled to paint on and carve up the walls of caves, based on the amount and geographic reach of prehistoric art, they likely got some enjoyment out of this artistic expression. This review study looks into research done on art therapy and its potential advantages for adult mental health rehabilitation. Activities like painting, sculpting, drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower your stress level and leave you feeling mentally clear and calm. media, Creating eco-friendly infrastructure design: Meet Jan Whittington, Looking at art can change your perspective, Fostering global opportunities: Meet Kirsten Aoyama. If you would like to follow me and my continuing battle with depression using art to cope, please check out my site at https://OBXJack.art. During her graduate studies, she relied on art and mindfulness to help her access and express emotions she had kept bottled up for years. People with dementia aren't the only beneficiaries. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2021.1922328 Brown, B. This is why Creative Courage uses nonverbal tools, like mindfulness, journaling and art activities, to help kids identify and express their emotions. The creation process helped patients express their feelings. Front Psychol. Creativity is mostly a skill, not just a gift, and this skill can be developed. It was cathartic. So knit that sweater and play that piano! You make a valid point about art therapy as a discipline only being conducted by licensed art therapists. Spence felt the power, while the decisions and control in her carelay with the doctors. And one 2012 study published in Journal of the American Art Therapy Association showed that coloring inside a mandala reduces anxiety to a greater degree compared to coloring in a plaid design or a plain sheet of paper. Similar to individual counseling, support groups often encourage individuals to speak about their struggles. I started my own blog where I write a weekly post about my progress, I also try to provide tips to better mental health. This has been shown to be very helpful with children when sessions are fun, playful, and enjoyable (McDonald, 2020). Art no matter whether you choose to create it yourself or simply observe and enjoy it is a relaxing and inspiring activity for many people. A foundational principle of mental health and cognitive performance is to supply the brain with the best nutrition possible. This entry was posted in Engaging Interests and tagged art, mental health, self-care. Some examples include writing to a loved one that hurt you or taking photos of a place that used to hold meaning to you. Kaimal points to a 2018 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, which found that flow was characterized by increased theta wave activity in the frontal areas of the brain and moderate alpha wave activities in the frontal and central areas. I want to be a role model for our students, which is why I began Creative Courage, says Wardrip. He found that mental decline was due mainly to the loss of communication between brain cells, not from the death of brain cells themselves. Creating art relieves stress, encourages creative thinking, increases brain plasticity, and imparts other mental health benefits. What kind of materials should you use? | READ MORE. Research has proved that art can help process pain and provide a direct connection between the mind and body to help with the healing process. You may not think you're any "good" at creating art, or you may not think it's worth your time, but art is actually a valuable pastime. 2011 Aug;18(6):501-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2850.2011.01693.x. Alternatively, the use of a studio, however basic, can allow students to document before and after portraits, offering natural and the posed results for analysis. eCollection 2015. Group art therapy as an adjunctive treatment for people with schizophrenia: a randomised controlled trial (MATISSE). Keep in mind as you create that using art therapeutically is about the journey, not the end product. 2012;29(2):87-92. doi:10.1080/07421656.2012.680047. and transmitted securely. International Journal of Art Therapy, 26(12), 1728. Heres a list of other popular art forms to explore: Are you an artist or creative? https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2017.1413397 McDonald, A., & Holttum, S. (2020). Anyone who feels overwhelmed or pressured by the hectic world we live in should try art therapy. For more, sign up for the newsletter and follow @NPRLifeKit on Twitter. When theories and concepts do not have consensus support of the scientific community, we present both sides of the issue. Healing from trauma is a complicated process and there are many practices that can help facilitate this process. You dont have to produce fine art to reap the benefits of the creative process.