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Review
. 2022 Sep 15;19(18):11612.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811612.

A Review of the Effectiveness, Feasibility, and Acceptability of Art Therapy for Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Minh Ngoc Le Vu  1 , Anh Linh Do  2 , Laurent Boyer  3 , Quy Chi Tran  4 , Stefan Kohler  5 , Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed  6 , Andreea Molnar  7 , Tung Son Vu  2 , Nhan Trong Huynh Vo  2 , Linh Mai Vu Nguyen  2 , Linh Gia Vu  1   8 , Vu Anh Trong Dam  1   8 , Thomy Duong  2 , Dan Linh Nguyen Do  2 , Ngoc Minh Do  9 , Roger S Mclntyre  10 , Carl Latkin  11 , Roger Chun Man Ho  12   13 , Cyrus Su Hui Ho  12
Affiliations
Review

A Review of the Effectiveness, Feasibility, and Acceptability of Art Therapy for Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Minh Ngoc Le Vu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Art therapy has been widely offered to reduce symptoms of psychological disturbance. Pooled evidence about its effectiveness in epidemic contexts, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been yet established. This study reviewed the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of art therapy on children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic and past epidemics. We searched PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, CENTRAL (Cochrane Library), and CINAHL for articles on art therapy during COVID-19. Included studies reported improvements in measures of mental health, sleep quality, and psychological well-being in children with or without disabilities in the epidemic context. Results also showed that art therapy was highly feasible and accepted by children and adolescents as well as their families during epidemics in reviewed studies. Art therapy can be effective at improving various aspects of mental health, sleep quality, and psychological well-being. More empirical evidence is needed with larger sample sizes and longer duration of interventions.

Keywords: COVID-19; acceptability; art therapy; children; epidemic; feasibility; mental health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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