Predictors of benefit from art, movement, and poetry therapy: a pilot study

No validated criteria exist for assigning patients to the creative arts therapies. This paper reports on a pilot study attempting to identify predictors of benefit from art, movement, and poetry therapy. Based on a priori hypotheses, selected psychological tests were administered to 31 patients who each received all three modalities of treatment. The relationships of these test scores and therapist prediction of benefit ratings to outcome were then evaluated statistically; outcome was measured by patient ratings and figure drawings. Results showed few significant predictors, though several findings requiring confirmation may provide a framework for future research. Implications and possible explanations of these results, as well as design and other research issues relevant to further work in this area, are discussed.