Therapeutic and Expressive Use of Art Therapy in Children: A Review

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Page: 497-503

Arundhati Kar¹, Divya Mishra², and Mona Srivastava³ (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh¹, Department of Psychiatry, IMS Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh²,³)

Art therapy is a popular method for healing and understanding the inner functions of individuals who cannot express themselves verbally and those who can. Expressive arts, including dance, drama, music, and art, help communicate non-verbal thoughts and feelings. Earlier theories in psychology, as discussed by Freud, talk about catharsis as a form of outlet for expression. Research on expressive arts has significantly impacted the therapeutic model, as it is focused on healing rather than pathologizing. The impact of art as a medium has been seen in a wide variety of populations, especially with people dealing with a long-term illness (like cancer). The review aims to evaluate the usage of Art as an expressive technique in children and the various areas where there has been progress in the mental health of children. The review paper takes into account the research papers published from 2013 to 2023. Inclusion-exclusion criterion has been kept into consideration while searching for the papers on databases like PubMed, the American Psychological Association’s PsycInfo, and Google Scholar. Upon the review, it was noted that in most studies there was a significant improvement noticed in children suffering from mental disorders or illnesses. Art serves as a good medium for children who have difficulty expressing themselves (like children suffering from ID, ASD, etc.). Art as an expressive medium is being widely used in a variety of populations both clinically and non-clinically.