Art as Medicine: How Creative Expression Aids Rehabilitation and Recovery
Art is everywhere, whether you choose to create it yourself or otherwise; it is an integral part of the lives of numerous individuals. The need to express ourselves creatively when words fall short is a result of our human nature. Being creative and finding unique, artistic ways through which we convey our emotions is no new phenomenon. Looking back at the Paleolithic age, art was still prevalent—whether through cave paintings or stone carvings, humans have always found solace in art since the very beginning of our existence. We use artistic channels to showcase our individuality and feel creatively fulfilled; however, oftentimes art is looked at through a lens that paints it as solely for entertainment, pastime, or even career purposes alone, when in reality art has the capability of doing so much more. Using art as a tool in therapy has proven to be an incredible approach to facilitate personal growth, self-expression, and stress reduction. Like the saying by Pablo Picasso, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”, art therapy is used as a method of healing, to help us escape from the tribulations that take place in our daily lives by effectively combining both psychology and art.
The importance of art therapy is quite immense as it provides much-needed access to therapy for people who might be non-verbal or not particularly verbally expressive. For many people, especially those new to therapy, cohesively articulating their thoughts, be it for themselves or their therapist, doesn’t come naturally, and in some cases even causes unnecessary anxiety and discomfort. Art therapy helps with getting rid of this by focusing more deeply on understanding and treating the patient through a creative avenue using non-linguistic methods. This is especially helpful for autistic or neurodivergent individuals.
An area in which art therapy has left a formidable impact on, is Rehabilitation Psychology. In recent years, psychologists have been conducting more research on the role of art and exploring how creativity aids in the recovery of both mental as well as physical ailments. Rehabilitation psychology aims to increase function and quality of life of individuals living with disabilities or mental illness. It addresses the behavioral and mental issues faced by people of varying ages due to injury, disorders, addiction, or chronic conditions that lead to disability.
Art therapy is an influential form of psychotherapy that can be successfully integrated into rehabilitation programs as it has proved to have multiple benefits, such as;
Expression of Emotions: It gives people a medium to channel their inner thoughts and emotions that they find challenging to communicate through verbal dialogue. Having an outlet to express a part of them that they couldn’t before provides a feeling of relief and lightness.
Reduced Stress Levels: Engaging in creatively demanding activities can reduce the amount of stress-releasing hormones as partaking in such activities takes the focus of the individual away from what has been troubling them.
Elevated Self-Esteem: Creating a piece of art—no matter the subjective quality or skill level, instills a sense of accomplishment, and in turn, further motivation to continue being productive.
Self-Discovery: Art therapy encourages self-exploration by aiding individuals to gain clarity on their own emotions, intentions, and headspace. By analysing their own creation, individuals can spot recurring themes and patterns. Self-reflection is crucial for gaining a proper perspective of oneself.
Pain Mitigation: Being involved in various creative activities releases endorphins—our bodies’ natural painkillers,leading to a decrease in physical pain and mental discomfort. Art therapy helps patients reduce pain and its consequent emotional impact.
By adopting the reformative ability of creativity with the constant structured support of the rehabilitation programs, individuals are well on their way toward a path of self-discovery, healing, and eventual recovery.
Art therapy was found to have a significant effect on the recovery or palliative care of individuals with a variety of disorders. Individuals suffering from dementia have shown positive effects to art therapy with tentative evidence showing an increase in quality of life. However, it doesn’t seem to be successful in reversing degenerating mental functions. Also, art therapy has no clear results on affecting memory or emotional well-being scales as of yet. Still, Alzheimer's Association states that art and music have the ability to enrich people's lives and allow for self-expression. D.W. Zaidel, a researcher and therapist at VAGA, claims that engagement with art can stimulate specific areas of the brain involved in language processing and visuo-spatial perception—two cognitive functions that decline significantly in dementia patients.
Along with dementia patients, art therapy has also been found to have a positive effect on the rehabilitation process of stroke patients who commonly suffer from PTSD related to the incident. Creative arts-based therapies have demonstrated their strength in addressing psychosocial needs of stroke survivors. Different art models are perceived to be useful in achieving different therapeutic goals. Further research is needed to demonstrate the special advantages of using single or multiple art models as well as having qualified therapists in creative arts-based therapies.
Art therapy still has a long way to go, in terms of research and development of the practice itself, as well as the acceptance and acknowledgment of art as a valid medium to assist in rehabilitation. However, society has recently become more open to new therapeutic approaches to aid in recovery. Last year, a video by Sophie Puchulu, a creator on TikTok known as “squishissophie” went viral in which she shared her experience in a mental health facility, where she spent numerous hours each day making mini paper stars. She showed these paper stars and how she made them. Since the paper stars were cute, coupled with the fact multiple people came to relate to her, the video was widespread. A lot of the comments shared how they were also in similar, mentally unstable situations, where engaging in creatively stimulating activities—such as crocheting or scrapbooking, along with getting professional support, helped them overcome their mental and emotional battles toward recovery.
Art therapy serves as a key tool in rehabilitation. As society continues to increasingly recognise its benefits, ongoing research will further validate and expand its role in assisting mental and physical recovery.
References:
Emblad, Shayla (May 2021). "Creative Art Therapy as a Non-Pharmacological Intervention for Dementia: A Systematic Review". Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports. 5 (1): 353–364. doi:10.3233/ADR-201002. PMC 8203286. PMID 34189407.
Chancellor, B; Duncan, A; Chatterjee, A (2014). "Art therapy for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias". Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 39 (1): 1–11. doi:10.3233/JAD-131295. PMID 24121964.
Wang, Qiu-Yue; Li, Dong-Mei (2016-09-01). "Advances in art therapy for patients with dementia". Chinese Nursing Research. 3 (3): 105–108. doi:10.1016/j.cnre.2016.06.011. ISSN 2095-7718.
Deshmukh, Sunita R.; Holmes, John; Cardno, Alastair (13 September 2018). "Art therapy for people with dementia". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018 (9): CD011073. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011073.pub2. ISSN 1469-493X. PMC 6513479. PMID 30215847.
Alzheimer's Association (2020). "Art and Music". Alzheimer's Association. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
Zaidel, Dahlia W. (2015). Neuropsychology of Art: Neurological, Cognitive, and Evolutionary Perspectives. doi:10.4324/9781315719931. ISBN 9781317517450.
Lo, T. L. T., Lee, J. L. C., & Ho, R. T. H. (2018). Creative Arts-Based Therapies for Stroke Survivors: A Qualitative Systematic Review. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01646
About the Author:
Symone Alvares,
Member at Psycreative Column,
First-year student, B.Sc. Applied Psychology, JDSOLA, NMIMS.
Symone’s name means ‘to listen’, and even though most people mispronounce it, she thinks it’s perfect since she’s an aspiring Clinical Psychologist. She loves to read and is a self-proclaimed cinephile. She relates to Sylvia Plath’s fig tree analogy more than a healthy amount. Her 13-year-old self, writing bad fanfiction that somehow got popular on Wattpad, will forever haunt her. Symone would be willing to spend more money than she’d like to admit on a One Direction reunion concert—that is if it even happens. She hopes that one day she’ll be skilled enough to start her own practice as a psychologist, helping others while trying to be the best version of herself.
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