Also known as: art therapy, creative arts, expressive arts
Latest evidence update: 2026-04-10
Strongest in Consistency (92). Held back by Recency (66).
Solid mix of RCTs with some methodological gaps.
Good cross-study replication, some imprecision.
Tens of thousands of participants pooled across studies.
Studies agree on direction of effect.
Healthy mix of recent and established research.
Areas where research points to a consistent direction of effect. The strength of evidence is graded; the size of the effect is not quantified.
Engaging in creative activities (drawing, painting, writing, crafting) reduces cortisol regardless of artistic skill. Creative expression facilitates emotional processing and enters flow states that are intrinsically restorative.
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Art therapy significantly reduces anxiety in women with breast cancer with a pooled effect size of -1.594.
Visual art therapy reduced depressive symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
Active visual art therapy's primary measured outcomes focused on depression, anxiety, self-esteem, social adjustment, and quality of life.
Creative arts therapy significantly improves MoCA scores in elderly adults compared to treatment as usual.
Art therapy promotes mental well-being in clinical nurses.