Arts-based interventions to reduce anxiety levels among college students

Abstract

The current study examined the therapeutic utility of creative endeavors for the reduction of anxiety among undergraduate college students enrolled in a public university in the United States. Students were randomly assigned to participate in one of three conditions: an individual art project (n ¼ 30), a group art project (n ¼ 30), or a non-art control project (n ¼ 30). An overall within-subjects effect of anxiety was noted in which participants reported reduced anxiety levels following intervention. A statistical interaction showed that anxiety was reduced by both individual and group arts interventions, but not by the control condition in which participants completed puzzles. The extent of anxiety reduction did not differ between the individual and group conditions. In conclusion, although presently underutilized, arts interventions may be a viable form of anxiety-reduction among college students.

Therapeutic psychological and biological responses to mindfulness‐based art therapy

“…Art therapy, yoga and meditation have been linked to positive psychosocial adjustment (Henderson et al, ), beneficial changes in cerebral blood flow (Kaimal et al, ; Monti et al, ), decreases in the cortisol awakening response (CAR) (Ratanasiripong, Park, Ratanasiripong, & Kathalae, ), perceived stress and anxiety symptoms (Aaron, Rinehart, & Ceballos, ; Bamber & Schneider, ; Caldwell et al, ; Deckro et al, ; Eaton & Tieber, ; Oman et al, ; Sundquist et al, ) and improved overall well‐being (Caldwell et al, ; Prazak et al, ; Schure et al, ; Slayton et al, ). Researchers have identified possible hormonal and immunological evidence that mindfulness meditation can contribute to psychological resilience in treating adults with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (Hoge et al, ).…”

“…It has the ability to expedite emotional expression, facilitate catharsis, and concretize and symbolize more abstract concepts like thoughts and feelings (Sholt & Gavron, ). Furthermore, it has also been demonstrated to significantly decrease salivary cortisol levels (Kaimal et al, ), negative mood (Kimport & Robbins, ) and anxiety (Aaron et al, ). This literature to date has focused on the intrinsic therapeutic qualities of clay, as studies have been limited to single‐session, lab‐centric research designs, investigating what is happening during the art making or immediately afterwards.…”

Integrating Arts in EFL Curricula: A Focus on Language Listening Skills

“…Arts can be used to reduce the challenges that anxiety produces (Aaron et al, 2011;Nainis et al, 2006;Sandmire et al, 2015;Sandmire et al, 2012). Guida (1995) determined that theater games and improvisation helped decrease student anxiety and increase fluency in language speaking.…”

The Connection Between Creating Art And Reducing Negative Emotions

“…The third article examined as part of this literature review, "Arts-based interventions to reduce anxiety among college students" (Aaron, Rinehart, and Ceballos, 2011), focused, similar to the first two articles, on the anxiety reducing potential for college students of art making. The authors noted, referring to articles on the power of art in helping us to express and understand ourselves, that "art may simply be defined as a form of creative expression -a way to get out what cannot be identified inside" (Aaron et al, 2011. p. 28).…”

“…They were then instructed to discuss together and reach consensus on how to apply the watercolors to the paper, which they then proceeded to paint. These detailed instructions were implemented due to the instructors concern that a free form art assignment without a step by step guide might be stressful for some participants, and thus, the idea was to provide concrete guidance, while leaving room for creativity (Aaron & Rinehart, et al, 2011). The control group had the choice of working on a puzzle or reading a newspaper for a period of 15 minutes.…”