Processes of change in school-based art therapy with children: A systematic qualitative study

Deboys, Rachel; Holttum, Sue; Wright, Karen

doi:10.1080/17454832.2016.1262882

Cited by 35 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…School-based art therapy has been developing over time (Karkou, 1999) with studies of practice in this area increasing in recent years (Adoni-Kroyanker, Regev, Snir, Orkibi, & Shakarov, 2019;Danieli, Snir, Regev, & Adoni-Kroyanker, 2019;Elkayam, Snir, & Regev, 2020;Gonzalez-Dolginko, 2018;Randick & Dermer, 2013;Snir et al, 2018) and its evaluation growing (Cobbett, 2016;Deboys, Holttum, & Wright, 2017;McDonald & Drey, 2018). However, there have been no controlled studies on its effects on classroom learning or academic achievement (McDonald & Drey, 2018).…”

Section: School-based Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there have been no controlled studies on its effects on classroom learning or academic achievement (McDonald & Drey, 2018). A grounded theory study, which examined children's experiences of art therapy, did report increased engagement in learning, with both teachers and children describing improved concentration, academic progress and reduced behavioural difficulties (Deboys et al, 2017). A previous single case study also indicated that art therapy may have helped a pupil improve academic performance after her grades had dropped following parental divorce (Pleasant-Metcalf & Rosal, 1997).…”

Section: School-based Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The context of the present study was an art therapy service within an inner-city community primary school in a London borough with high child poverty (36.8%), and high SEMH prevalence (LB Hackney Policy Team, 2013). The theoretical framework underpinning art therapy in this study was as follows; The primary school is viewed as an established responsive context which facilitates communication between teachers, parents and art therapists to provide grounding for therapeutic engagement (Deboys et al, 2017;Snir et al, 2018). Within art therapy sessions, the physical action involved in using art materials is thought to help children to process emotional and sensory data (Czamanski-Cohen & Weihs, 2016;Malchiodi & Crenshaw, 2015) and art making is seen as a relatively safe way to explore emotions (Springham, Findlay, Woods, & Harris, 2012).…”

Section: School-based Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Primary-school-based art therapy: A mixed methods comparison study on children’s classroom learning

McDonald¹,

Holttum

2020

International Journal of Art Therapy

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Background: In the UK an estimated one in ten primary school pupils have diagnosable mental health problems which may impact their education. Aims/context: This study examined a primary-school-based art therapy service for children experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties to assess the intervention's acceptability and possible changes in classroom learning. Methods: A mixed methods before-and-after study was conducted with 25 children in art therapy and a comparison group of 25 children per subject for reading, writing and maths attainment. A focus group with 10 teachers and interviews with 37 children were used to examine perceptions of art therapy and classroom learning. Results: Academic attainment was similar between the art therapy and comparison children. Both groups' learning rate resembled that of national minimum expectations. Children and teachers perceived art therapy to be helpful for engagement with classroom learning, relationships with teachers and peers, and learning time. Conclusions: Further research is needed to develop this primary-school-based art therapy programme, assess transferability, and examine wider educational outcomes. Implications for practice: Primary-school-based art therapy may be particularly helpful when it is perceived as: a safe place, sessions being social and fun, facilitates coping strategies, expressing, thinking and talking, as well as making artwork. Plain-language summary In the UK an estimated one in ten primary school pupils suffer from mental health problems, and this can affect their educational attainment. Thus, it is important that therapies help children to gain positive outcomes both in mental health and educationally. We looked at one art therapy service, which specifically focuses on helping children to understand their own and others' minds (metallization), within one primary school in London. Thirty-seven children referred to art therapy with social, emotional and mental health difficulties were included. Ten class teachers participated. The aims were to see if the children, and their teachers, found the approach acceptable and if there were any indications of changes in classroom learning. There were no differences in reading, writing and maths scores between children attending art therapy and comparison children receiving usual education support. However, all the children learned at the same rate as the national minimum expectation. Art therapy may have prevented the increasing educational attainment gap that social, emotional and mental health difficulties can bring. We held a focus group with the class teachers and interviewed the children and both reported experiencing art therapy as helpful for engagement with classroom learning, relationships with teachers and peers, and learning time. Specific aspects of art therapy which they considered helpful were: art therapy being a safe place; learning coping strategies; expressing, thinking and talking in art therapy; making artwork; and sessions being social and fun. The teachers also a...

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Section: School-based Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: School-based Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: School-based Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Primary-school-based art therapy: A mixed methods comparison study on children’s classroom learning

McDonald¹,

Holttum

2020

International Journal of Art Therapy

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“…Proceeding from interviews with students, their parents, teachers, and art therapists, Deboys, Holttum, and Wright (2016) have presented a model of school art therapy that emphasises the systematic nature of art therapy. The objectives of the child, parents, and school are taken into account jointly, and feedback is given to all parties on the findings from the therapy process.…”

Section: The Estonian Education System and Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Field of Work of the School Art Therapist and Its Unique Potential for the School’s Support Team

Ratnik

Rüütel

2019

PEC

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Qualitative research was carried out to examine the first experiences of the implementation of art therapy in Estonian schools. The aim was to ascertain the facets of the activities of the school art therapists and the potential of art therapy in the work of a school’s support team. Within the framework of the research, art therapists and management staff from four general education schools were interviewed. The work foci and specifics of the art therapist’s work were described on this basis, and the potential of school art therapy in reaching educational goals was highlighted. The interviewees characterised the work of a school art therapist in terms of the artistic and creative nature of art therapy, the co-operation-based supportive therapeutic relationship; the variability of the forms of work; and the mitigating, relaxing, and school-adaptation-supporting effect of art therapy. Management staff indicated that the art therapist enriches the work of the school’s support system, as creativity-based methods make the strengths and development potential of students more visible, it is possible to choose from among various specialists to help children, and art therapy can be applied as a primary preventive intervention. Keywords: school art therapy, artistic expression, art therapeutic relationship, content of school art therapy.

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“…In preparation for our forthcoming special issue focusing on art therapy with childrenan area for which there is a need for further research on clinical effectiveness (McDonald & Drey, 2018;Regev & Cohen-Yatziv, 2019) and further understanding of the mechanisms of change (Deboys, Holttum, & Wright, 2017) we discuss the impact of real-term funding cuts on mental health provision for this client group and art therapy in general. It is a challenging time to be an art therapist and the impact on children and young people is particularly concerning.…”

Section: Editorialmentioning

confidence: 99%

The state-of-the-art: building a positive future for art therapy through systematic research

Carr¹,

McDonald

2019

International Journal of Art Therapy

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Processes of change in school-based art therapy with children: A systematic qualitative study

Cited by 35 publications

References 35 publications

Primary-school-based art therapy: A mixed methods comparison study on children’s classroom learning

Primary-school-based art therapy: A mixed methods comparison study on children’s classroom learning

The Field of Work of the School Art Therapist and Its Unique Potential for the School’s Support Team

The state-of-the-art: building a positive future for art therapy through systematic research

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