Creative arts program as an intervention for PTSD: a randomized clinical trial with motor vehicle accident survivors

The aim of this study is to determine whether the creative arts program (HA) is effective in preventing the onset of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD develops in 10-20% of motor vehicle accident survivors (MVAs). MVAs in the initial months after the accident were randomly assigned to receive 8-week HA intervention (n = 26) or wait the list (WL, n = 26). The arts program consisted of writing and drawing. PTSD severity was assessed at 2, 6, and 12 months post injury with a clinical interview (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, CAPS) and self-report instrument (Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R). Secondary outcomes were post-traumatic growth (PTG), depression and anxiety symptoms. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that both HA and WL group exhibited a significant effect of time (P < 0.01) on CAPS, but no significant group differences over time. There were no group differences on depression or anxiety over time. Pessimists did not benefit more from attending the HA than they did from attending the WL. Our results fail to support the hypothesis that the creative arts program is effect in avoiding MVA-related PTSD symptoms. But it only seems to be a short-term, rather than a long-term effect.