The Use of Islamic Patterned Art Therapy: Healing of Psychological Problems Among University Students

Abstract

This study was designed to adopt art therapy from an Islamic perspective by adding/including shapes and designs of Islamic origin. This was basically color therapy and was designed to find its effectiveness in reducing depression, anxiety. Stress and enhancing psychological well-being of university students with high and low-religious levels from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. This study was carried out in two phases. The first phase was to develop Islamic adult coloring book with Islamic patterns and calligraphy. The second phase was the main study, and it was an experimental study which included screening out a sample, consisting of mild to moderate levels of depression, anxiety and stress and high and low-religiosity levels. A sample of 60 university students received Islamic patterned art therapy. On the basis of religiosity, two groups were formed as either a high-religious group or a low-religious group with individuals in both groups completing fourteen sessions. Pre- and post-test assessments were undertaken via the psychometric tools DASS-21, psychological well-being scale and religiosity scale. Statistics from the independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test and repeated measures ANOVA for within group and between group comparisons, revealed that there was a significant difference from pre-test to post-test assessments of depression anxiety and stress and psychological well-being, whereas there were nonsignificant gender differences on the bases of high and low-religiosity levels. Therefore, it could be concluded that Islamic patterned art therapy was found effective in reducing depression anxiety stress and increasing psychological well-being of university students.

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“…The design development process was steered by the foundation set by Verduyn (2000), Saravanan, Alias &Mohamad (2017), andSinniah et al (2017) who investigated the effectiveness of individual cognitive behaviour therapy in depression. Their research, that is also in accord with numerous research such as treatment approaches for reducing the risk of major depression in adolescence including group cognitive-behavioural and individual interpersonal psychotherapy (Landback et al, 2009), tactile therapy as an effective psychological comfort (Schmidt, 2006;Kamil and Abidin, 2013;Fritz and Fritz, 2020), recovery rates in major depressive disorder patients (Novick et al, 2017), study of shape, colour and lights as a therapy for depression (Wileman et al, 2001;Loving et al, 2005;Kim and Kang, 2013;Roseman-Halsband, 2018;Hajra and Saleem, 2021), finds that the integration of tactile sensory, colours and design elements in cognitive behaviour therapy have significant potential to elevate comfort among adolescent with depressive disorder. This data plays an important element for the development of therapy product for adolescents with depressive disorder.…”

The effects of coloring therapy on patients with generalized anxiety disorder

“…Similar to the results of existing studies, Kaimal et al 24 implemented a 45‐min‐long coloring session in a unique studio for 25 healthcare workers and 9 caregivers of cancer patients in an oncology unit and showed a significant decrease in the anxiety levels of healthcare workers and caregivers compared to the pre‐intervention period. In addition, when coloring therapy was administered to college students with anxiety disorders, 11,25 community‐dwelling elderly, 26 patients attending the emergency department, 23 women in late pregnancy, 27 and cancer patients, 28,29 the results showed some reduction in anxiety in this population compared to the pre‐intervention period. This study used GAD patients as subjects to confirm the anxiety‐relieving effect of coloring therapy and to broaden the scope of diseases treated with coloring therapy.…”

“…8 However, most of the current psychotherapeutic tools still have poor cost-effectiveness ratios, so the increasingly critical global situation requires immediate new psychotherapeutic methods with short treatment courses, low cost, and low relapse rates. Research studies [9][10][11] have shown that coloring therapy is a new treatment method in which patients can express their emotions through colors and patterns. It can provide psychological support for patients, reduce anxiety and depression, and help divert patients' attention from anxiety events.…”

Cultural inequalities in access to Early Intervention for Psychosis services in the United Kingdom

“…Negative symptoms include low social functioning, withdrawal from normal activities, and self-neglect (ibid.). Research suggests that arts therapies can support the mental wellbeing of people who have experienced trauma (Clini et al, 2019) and create a strengthened connection to one's culture and faith (Hajra & Saleem, 2021). Therefore, in line with requests for natural remedies and spiritual activities (McCabe & Priebe, 2004), art therapy could be Cultural inequalities in access to Early Intervention for Psychosis services in the United Kingdom.…”