Effectiveness of art interventions on improving psychological outcomes and quality of life among survivors of breast cancer: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: Despite advances in treatment options, survivors of breast cancer often face long-term psychological challenges, including anxiety, depression, body image issues, and reduced quality of life. Art interventions, encompassing creative disciplines such as painting, music, dance, and poetry, have emerged as potential tools to address these challenges. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of these interventions in improving psychological outcomes for survivors of breast cancer.

Methods: This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024528056) following PRISMA guidelines. From inception to April 2024, we searched eight bibliographic databases and identified randomized control trials meeting the inclusion criteria. Papers were included only if they reported psychological outcomes from art interventions administered after completing primary treatment for breast cancer. Following screening, two reviewers independently extracted data from the eligible studies, including the study characteristics, type of intervention, and the psychological outcomes assessed.

Results: A total of 7991 articles were identified, of which 31 met the inclusion criteria. The most common approaches employed were dance-based interventions (12/31, 38.7%), followed by visual art interventions (10/31, 32.3%), music-based interventions (7/31, 22.6%), and lastly poetry-based interventions (2/31, 6.5%). Visual art and music-based interventions consistently demonstrated significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Dance-based interventions yielded mixed outcomes, with positive effects on body image and quality of life but limited efficacy in reducing anxiety and depression. Poetry-based interventions showed potential across all domains but remain underexplored due to a limited number of studies available.

Conclusion: Visual art and music-based interventions are both promising approaches to enhance psychological well-being and quality of life in survivors of breast cancer. However, the variability in outcomes for dance interventions and the scarcity of data on poetry interventions emphasize the need for further research to guide evidence-informed practice.

Implications for cancer survivors: Art-based interventions offer accessible and non-invasive approaches to improving psychological outcomes for survivors of breast cancer. Future research should focus on larger, diverse samples and longitudinal designs to strengthen the evidence base and optimize intervention strategies tailored to survivors' unique needs.

Keywords: Anxiety; Art interventions; Body image; Depression; Quality of life; Survivors of breast cancer.