{"title":"Open studio therapeutic aspects as experienced by adolescents in a psychiatric day treatment unit: A qualitative analysis","authors":"Daniela Finkel , Michal Bat Or","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This qualitative study aimed to explore the therapeutic aspects of Open Studio art therapy as experienced by adolescents in a psychiatric day treatment unit. It was based on constructivist grounded theory, youth participatory action research principles, and arts-informed research, and involved nine participants aged 13–18. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and participants’ reflections on their artworks. The triangulated approach ensured a robust investigation into the participants' experiences. Data analysis revealed three primary categories: (1) the shared creative space facilitating individual therapeutic processes; (2) creative self-expression promoting self-awareness and self-discovery; and (3) the art therapist as nurturer and guardian of the creative process. Participants emphasized the importance of a supportive creative atmosphere, a sense of belonging and community, and the art therapist’s role in maintaining the creative environment. These findings highlight the relational dynamics within the Open Studio and showcase how the interaction between adolescents and the shared creative space fosters personal growth and psychological healing. The study underscores the importance of patient-centered and experientially validated therapeutic approaches and offers insights that can better align art therapy practices with adolescents' developmental and emotional needs in psychiatric settings. Study limitations and recommendations for further research are also presented.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102264"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dance therapy and the criminal justice system: Considering traditional and critical perspectives in prisons, forensic mental health and addiction care","authors":"Ella Dumaresq, Katrina Skewes McFerran","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dance therapy can be beneficial for people detained in prisons and other correctional facilities, yet conceptualising research and practice with incarcerated participants can be complex and multifaceted. On one hand, traditional perspectives align with behaviourism and take a medical approach to analysing and articulating the benefits of dance therapy for criminal cohorts. On the other hand, social justice perspectives highlight the limitations of individual behavioural change and look to broader socio-political contexts to explain the ways in which institutions and systems adversely impact the lives and experiences of criminalised people. Taking these different views into consideration, our article blends traditional (behavioural) and contemporary (critical) perspectives and seeks to crystalise findings from the research literature in a way that honours the relevance of two distinct, yet complementing, paradigms. Beginning with a systematic review, we draw on the Risk-Need-Responsivity and Good Lives Model to contextualise data from an objectivist standpoint. We then position ourselves more critically to examine the constraints of the medical model and suggest alternatives to treatment-focused discourse. Our paper concludes with recommendations for further research and practice which are rooted in our belief that more collaborative models for engaging people in prison and related settings are possible, and worth pursuing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102250"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143092742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Milla Horváth, Frida Zuber, Boglárka Kitti Vécsey, Fanni Varga, Mihály Gáspár, Beáta Magda Nagy
{"title":"Move freely! – A theoretical overview of the mechanism of movement improvisation","authors":"Milla Horváth, Frida Zuber, Boglárka Kitti Vécsey, Fanni Varga, Mihály Gáspár, Beáta Magda Nagy","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102259","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102259","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, psychological research has increasingly explored interventions that integrate art forms, including movement improvisation. However, research on movement improvisation lacks a unified empirical groundwork and the findings in the field of movement are inconsistent due to several different reasons. This paper presents an integrative overview of movement improvisation research, identifying 18 processes that might account for changes in mental health outcomes and moderator and mediator variables that can influence the effects of such intervention. We propose that different movement forms engage these processes to varying degrees, resulting in contradictory outcomes in mental health. Our review highlights the need for a unified theoretical framework and standardized research methodologies to improve the comparability of studies on dance and movement. Future research should focus on meta-analyses and control studies to deepen the understanding of the effects of movement improvisation and its broader therapeutic applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102259"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143349249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael J. Silverman , Lacey Reimnitz , Kiran Dahlin , Maeva Ngono
{"title":"Developing and maintaining a thriving music therapy department at a senior living community: An exploratory interpretivist case study","authors":"Michael J. Silverman , Lacey Reimnitz , Kiran Dahlin , Maeva Ngono","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Older adults in senior living communities (SLC) often receive psychosocial treatments to maintain their health and quality of life. Although music therapy is a psychosocial intervention that may address these needs, there is a lack of literature regarding how to build and maintain thriving music therapy departments for older adults at SLC. The purpose of this exploratory interpretivist case study was to understand how music therapy became a thriving department at a SLC. We individually interviewed four music therapists, two music therapy interns, and 10 staff members working at a SLC. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcripts and member checking and trustworthiness to provide credibility to our findings. We identified eight ideas that we categorized into two overarching themes describing how the music therapy team developed and maintained a thriving music therapy department at a SLC: Therapists’ qualities (competence of music therapy team members, growth mindset, helping in and helping out, proactively avoiding burnout) and Departmental values (visibility of music therapy department, communication and education of therapeutic rationales, active role in interdisciplinary care meetings, soliciting input). Findings provide situated context to developing and maintaining a thriving music therapy department at a SLC. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102265"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Arts psychotherapies for adolescents with mental health difficulties: A systematic review and logic model of mechanisms of action and outcomes","authors":"Eleanor Melvin , Onyedikachi Onyeaso , Domenico Giacco , Simon Hackett","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102258","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102258","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a lack of evidence base to understand and evaluate arts psychotherapies (Art Psychotherapy, Dance Movement Psychotherapy, Dramatherapy and Music Therapy) interventions increasingly provided for adolescents with mental health difficulties, a population with rising need. We aimed to understand which arts psychotherapies interventions are used with adolescents with mental health difficulties and what their mechanisms of action are. We aimed to assess what the outcomes of arts psychotherapies interventions are, and how they are measured. Literature was sourced through database searches (CINAHL, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, APA PsycNet) and hand searches (January 2007 - June 2023). 3403 papers were screened, 47 met inclusion criteria for synthesis. Risk of bias in included studies was assessed. Findings were narratively synthesised, and a logic model drawn, mapping out intervention components, potential mechanisms of action (generic psychotherapy factors and factors unique to arts psychotherapies), and intervention outcomes. The logic model produced can inform more consistent evaluation strategies across arts psychotherapies approaches. Despite shared outcomes recognised through narrative synthesis, there is wide range of outcome measures used to assess benefits of these approaches. This is a barrier to establishment of a strong evidence base as it emphasizes differences rather than commonalities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102258"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143349248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Group music therapy for Chinese doctoral student mothers in Korea: A qualitative case study","authors":"Qi An , Jiyeon Lim , Hyejin So","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102262","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences of group music therapy on Chinese doctoral student mothers in Korea. The researchers recruited three Chinese international student mothers in Korea, whose children were being raised by other families in China. Following 8 weeks of group music therapy program in which these participants engaged, individual interviews were conducted. The data from these interviews were then analyzed using a phenomenological approach. Four themes were identified: (1) Burdens from Multiple Roles, (2) Dynamic Interplay in Group Music Therapy, (3) Musical Experience, and (4) New Perspectives. Ten categories were also identified. The results indicate that participants struggled with their responsibilities as an international student and a mother. However, experiencing group music therapy enabled them to draw support front the group, express themselves, and benefit from having a space in which they could view themselves as an independent being. In addition, as they began to perceive the positive aspects of their experience, the parent-child relationship was strengthened. Lastly, cultural expectations for woman in Asian countries needs to be reexamined, because their dual roles—developing as a professional and parenting—frequently conflict. This study provides useful information regarding strategies to support Chinese international student mothers in successfully completing their program of study and growing as a person.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring factors affecting art therapists’ intention to embrace virtual reality using UTAUT1","authors":"KyeongA Han , Soyeon Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>VR has opened up new possibilities in art therapy. However, integrating VR's therapeutic potential into art therapy in a seamless manner necessitates art therapists' interest in, preparation for, and adoption of VR. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to explore factors affecting art therapists’ intention to embrace VR and provide relevant insights required to effectively integrate VR into art therapy. To this end, we employed the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology1(UTAUT1) model to investigate whether variables—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions—could predict art therapists’ intention to adopt VR as an art medium. For this investigation, we considered the potential moderating effects of art therapists’ age, prior VR experience, and self-efficacy. We then conducted an online survey targeting Korean art therapists and analyzed the data from 152 participants using regression analysis to examine the main and interaction effects. The research results are as follows. First, all four factors mentioned above had a main effect on the intention to embrace VR. Second, social influence and effort expectancy had different age-specific interaction effects on the intention to embrace VR. Third, we observed varying degrees of interaction effects between effort expectancy and the intention to embrace VR, depending on previous VR experience. We believe that these analytical findings will lay the foundation for facilitating VR-driven art therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102260"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143377714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wahiba Abu-Ras , Ahmed Al-Kubaisi , Leena Babiker Idris , Basil H. Aboul-Enein
{"title":"The role of puppetry in mental health promotion: A scoping review of its efficacy and applications","authors":"Wahiba Abu-Ras , Ahmed Al-Kubaisi , Leena Babiker Idris , Basil H. Aboul-Enein","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Puppetry-based interventions have gained recognition as a potential tool in therapeutic, educational, and social contexts, offering unique benefits in emotional expression, anxiety reduction, and social skills development, thereby contributing to mental health promotion. This review aims to bridge the gap between practice and theory, providing a comprehensive understanding of the role of puppetry in therapeutic and educational settings for promoting mental health. A scoping review was conducted using the PICOS framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, examining studies across 16 databases up to August 2024. This review evaluated 30 studies to assess the effectiveness of puppetry-based interventions across diverse populations, including children, adolescents, and vulnerable groups such as refugees and the elderly. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in emotional regulation, anxiety management, and social interaction, particularly in pediatric and educational settings. However, the review also identifies critical gaps in the literature, including the limited use of large-scale randomized controlled trials, a scarcity of longitudinal studies, and inconsistent application of theoretical frameworks. These gaps highlight the need for more rigorous and theoretically grounded research to fully optimize the benefits of puppetry-based interventions. This review consolidates existing evidence and offers a roadmap for future research, emphasizing the importance of standardized protocols and long-term outcome evaluations. The findings contribute to the growing recognition of puppetry as a valuable tool in therapeutic and educational practices, offering insights into how these interventions can be effectively tailored to meet the needs of diverse populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102251"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143127820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The creative arts therapies and the climate crisis: Toward a framework for conscious engagement","authors":"Heather McLaughlin , Deborah Seabrook","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the face of the deepening climate emergency, the field of creative arts therapies must intensify its engagement in and commitment to climate action. Creative arts therapists hold unique skills to promote positive social change, foster deep reflection and expression on the impacts of the crisis, facilitate creative problem solving, and inspire visioning and innovation for better futures. To help consider how these skills can be harnessed, the authors propose a framework that can be used across the creative arts therapies modalities and be adapted within different theoretical approaches to invite intentional climate reflection and suggest different types of action. This framework can help creative arts therapists to determine ways their professional practices can be more aligned with values of climate wellness, including their work with clients, roles as educators to participants in learning contexts, and their roles within their professional workplaces and greater communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102255"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143092743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Music is considered my skin to skin with her”: Music therapy with parents and their extremely preterm infants in the NICU","authors":"Elisabeth G. Bombell","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is an emerging body of literature focused on parent-infant bonding and parent identity within music therapy during a NICU stay, and limited research on the use of music therapy experiences with families admitted for extreme prematurity. This study aims to identify the experiences of families admitted to the NICU for extreme prematurity and explore the role music therapy plays in their relationship with their infants. Two families that participated in music therapy sessions, were followed throughout their NICU stay and were interviewed about their experiences. Transcripts from the interviews and session notes were analyzed. Two themes emerged from the interviews and session data: making it through the journey, with subthemes emotional rollercoaster, ways of coping, and music as an escape, and redefining role as a parent, with subthemes, the NICU parent, moments of connection, and creating memories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102249"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143127815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}