Art as a Therapeutic Tool in Depressive Disorders: a Systematic Review of the Literature

Different alternative forms of therapy have been studied in relation to their applicability and effectiveness. The use of art therapy in the treatment of depressive disorder is an example frequently employed in several countries. The aim of this research was to identify and discuss which artistic te...

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Published inPsychiatric quarterly Vol. 90; no. 4; pp. 871 - 882
Main Authors Brandão, Fernando Mateus Viégas, Silva, Carolina Ventura, da Silva Gonçalves de Oliveira, Kleber Roberto, da Silva Pedroso, Janari
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Springer US 01.12.2019
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Alternative medicine
Art therapy
Depressive personality disorders
Literature reviews
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Music therapy
Photography
Poetry
Psychiatry
Public Health
Review Article
Sociology
Systematic review
Mental disorders
Art therapy
Depression
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Summary:Different alternative forms of therapy have been studied in relation to their applicability and effectiveness. The use of art therapy in the treatment of depressive disorder is an example frequently employed in several countries. The aim of this research was to identify and discuss which artistic techniques have been applied most frequently in the treatment of depressive disorders and what their main effects are. The research was conducted in the MEDLINE/PubMed, American Psychological Association (APA) and Web of Science databases. The articles were selected through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA protocol). 14 articles were selected, among which the main techniques of art therapy used were: manual work (drawing, painting, and modeling), music, poetry, photography, theater and contemplation of art pieces. It was found that most of the researches are European and as a field of knowledge they depart mainly from medicine. Of the 14 researches of this review, only two failed in the use of art therapy techniques as a therapeutic tool. It can be understood that art therapy is a safe and reliable tool for treatment not only of depression but also of other mental disorders.
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ISSN:0033-2720
1573-6709
DOI:10.1007/s11126-019-09672-x