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Published on: January 7, 2019
Art therapy for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Ronja Joschko1, Stephanie Roll1,2, Weronika A Grabowska1
1Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - University Medical Center Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|August 7, 2026
Summary
Art therapy significantly reduces depressive symptoms, offering a valuable non-medical treatment option. This finding supports integrating art therapy into depression care plans for improved patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Creative Arts Therapies
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Depression is a leading global cause of disability, necessitating exploration of diverse treatment modalities.
- Non-medical interventions are crucial for comprehensive depression management.
- Visual art therapy is an emerging complementary treatment approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and analyze the efficacy of visual art therapy in alleviating depressive symptoms.
- To conduct a secondary analysis of an umbrella review to synthesize findings from randomized controlled trials.
Main Methods:
- A secondary analysis of an umbrella review was performed, including randomized trials of visual art therapy.
- Depressive symptoms were measured using standardized depression assessment instruments.
- Data were pooled using a random-effects model, calculating a standardized mean difference (SMD) with hedges g.
Main Results:
- Nineteen studies with 997 patients were included in the meta-analysis.
- A significant pooled SMD of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.30 to 0.76) favored art therapy in reducing depressive symptoms.
- Variations in results were attributed to control group types, study quality, and patient populations.
Conclusions:
- Art therapy demonstrates a positive association with the improvement of depressive symptoms.
- The findings support the integration of art therapy as an accessible complementary treatment for individuals with depression.
- Further research may explore optimal art therapy protocols for different patient demographics.
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