Group arts interventions for depression and anxiety among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the efficacy of group arts interventions, where individuals engage together in a shared artistic experience (for example, dance or painting), for reducing depression and anxiety among older adults (> 55 yr without dementia). Fifty controlled studies were identified via electronic databases searched to February 2024 (randomised: 42, non-randomised: 8). Thirty-nine studies were included. Thirty-six studies investigated the impact of group arts interventions on depression (n = 3,360) and ten studies investigated anxiety (n = 949). Subgroup analyses assessed whether participant, contextual, intervention and study characteristics moderated the intervention-outcome relationship. Risk of bias was assessed with appropriate tools (RoB-2, ROBINS-1). Group arts interventions were associated with a moderate reduction in depression (Cohen's d = 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.54-0.87, P < 0.001) and a moderate reduction in anxiety (d = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.37-1.52, P < 0.001), although there was publication bias in the depression studies. After a trim and fill adjustment, the effect for depression remained (d = 0.42; CI = 0.35-0.50; P < 0.001). Context moderated this effect: There was a greater reduction in depression when group arts interventions were delivered in care homes (d = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.72-1.42, P < 0.001) relative to the community (d = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.32-0.70, P < 0.001). Findings indicate that group arts are an effective intervention for addressing depression and anxiety among older adults.