Testing the potential therapeutic effects of an online creative arts-based intervention for people with anxiety

Sayer, F ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-1665, Leyva, R, Luck, A, Lidbetter, N and Smithson, D (2024) Testing the potential therapeutic effects of an online creative arts-based intervention for people with anxiety. Arts and Health. ISSN 1753-3015

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Abstract

Background: Creative arts-based interventions are a relatively new addition to the toolkit of psychological treatments for mental afflictions. As such, the therapeutic efficacy of these therapies when conducted remotely via digital media has been under-researched. To address this gap, this study tested the effects of an online creative arts-based intervention to alleviate anxiety. Method: A repeated measures quasi-experimental design was employed on a sample of British adults (N = 41). Data were collected using pre- and post-intervention scores on the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing (WEMWBS) scales. Results: Inferential analysis procedures consisting of multiple tests for within-subjects effects all showed significantly lower levels of anxiety and higher levels of mental wellbeing post-intervention. Conclusion: Whilst additional confirmatory and longitudinal research is needed, the results of this exploratory study tentatively indicate that creative arts-based “interventions” delivered through digital media may be effective in substantively reducing common symptoms of anxiety.