Article Type : Short commentary
Authors : Bando H, Yoshioka A and Nishikiori Y
Keywords : Art therapy; Music therapy; Masking tape; American Art Therapy Association (AATA); Integrative Medicine Japan (IMJ)
Authors and collaborators have continued research of Integrative Medicine (IM) and managed the medical association of Integrative Medicine Japan (IMJ) for long. Among the activity of IMJ, art therapy has attracted attention for its effect by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). Art therapy includes various types of therapies of narrative, drawing, music, masking tape, etc. and provide beneficial influence to patients with anxiety, depression and higher stressful situation. For art therapy, strength has higher satisfaction with better feeling and low cost. The weakness has incomplete evaluation method or its result. Thus, further development of art therapy is expected.
In
the current medical situation across the world, Western Medicine (WM) and
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have been prevalent. These
categories are summarized as Integrative Medicine (IM). Authors and
collaborators have continued IM for years, and managed the Shikoku division of
Integrative Medicine Japan (IMJ) for long [1,2]. We have been involved in music
therapy, art therapy and various activities for the elderly people, and
published annual bulletin until now [3,4].
Art
therapy has been developed by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA),
which would hold the main role for teaching and progressing art therapy
internationally [5]. Art therapy would be one type of therapy which integrates
our mental health and human social services by using creative active art-making
associated with various experience and psychological theory. It can be involved
in some artistic measures for treating psychological disorders and enhancing
mental and physical health. It often utilizes creative art processes, art
medica, images and provide client or patients with some responses or unexpected
treatment changes. Such beneficial clinical developments are involved in the
individual’s personality, ability, concerns, interests and conflict. The
purpose of the art therapy would be the improvement of well-being of the
client/patient. It is sure that it can give further function improvement for
the people.
From
ancient era, people have relied on so-called arts for self-expression,
interpersonal communication and several healing for long. For evaluated as the
mother of art therapy, Margaret Naumburg set up Walden school in New York in
1915 [6]. She believed that children are allowed to play freely and such
circumstance can give them healthy development. She wrote some books for art
therapy, where creative works can be found as one form of expression in combination
of former memory, emotion and communication. Her work led other researchers to
begin exploring the field, developing the concept of art therapy. Successively,
the concept of art therapy has started as a formal program in 1940s. The
technical term of art therapy was originated by Adrian Hill in 1942, who was a
British artist and was involved in drawing and painting associated with the
improvement of his tuberculosis.
As
the concept in art therapy, many therapists have used writing art therapy to
help patient/client verbalize their feeling for written sentences [7]. It can
express various exercises to clarify the mutual dialogue among therapists,
clients and related person. It contributes improving their physical,
psychological, emotional and spiritual for better well-being. When it is
involved in the description of some reports, they can use narrative,
storytelling, poetry, and mutual dialogues.
From behavioral science point of view, it can be one approach method
that can reduce stressful matter, figure out current problems, work with
painful body and soul, and solve the integrated problems among treatment,
feeling and behavior. In this type of art therapy, a patient/client can express
freely any matters that comes into the mind.
For
the techniques of art therapy, various kinds of measures have been present.
They are conducted by the trained therapists in the regions of psychology,
counseling, psychiatry, drawing, painting, poem and so on [8]. They included
non-verbal measures and also verbal measures, which are relate to the
perspectives on daily life, status for a few years, and long lives associated
for QOL and ADL until older ages. The following items are used in the
counseling and psychologic treatment. They are 1) description by the word in
the language: narratives of previous history, experiences of working place and
home, 2) drawing or painting by pencil, pen or brush: previous experience,
trauma, sight-seeing and images from TV program, 3) expression for future
imagination: words and/or images for love, life success, purpose in life,
devotion of working, family, education, counseling, medical practice, religion,
etc.
Art
therapy has proven several evidence to benefit people with life situation,
various obstacles and experience, and tough mental and physical health
challenges [9]. Most common problems are anxiety and stressful matters. Such
art therapy can be applied to calm people with anxiety and higher stressful
situation. Art therapists can always use a variety of art measures in order to
reduce mild to severe degree of anxiety or threatening problems for helping
them verbalize their detail concerns, leading to comfortable stable status.
When the client has depression to some degree, art therapy can be applied for
explaining and soothing their feeling with therapeutic way.
Music
therapy has been well-known for everyone, and it is accepted widely because
everyone likes music associated with requiring less cost. It is defined as the
therapeutic approach using naturally mood-soothing and -activating for each
client [10]. It has two types of private session and group session. The
methodology includes listening, singing, playing the instruments, making music,
discussing music, writing song and composing music, and so on. Such kinds of
music involvement would be effective for people with anxiety or depression.
Actually, music and exercise therapy session can support clients/patients with
Alzheimer disease (AZ), Parkinson’s disease (PD), injuries and other
conditions. In the case of pregnant woman, the presence of music may be helpful
during labor.
The
strength and weakness of art therapy are considered [11]. For beneficial
points, various types of art therapies can provide certain satisfaction to
patients/clients. For music therapy and aromatherapy, almost all clients
evaluate valid method, because each participant feels better with rather low
cost. On the other hand, some weak points are observed. The evaluation for the
efficacy is not easy due to the absence of adequate evaluation method. Session
would be continued for several times, until the apparent successful results.
Some measures require high cost. Therapists always feel poor job growth
situation.
As
recent topic, the authors group would like to introduce novel type of art
therapy, which is masking tape art [12,13]. Making various art works by masking
tape would be pleasant because each applicant can make his own works according
to his natural mind [14]. It is not difficult like painting with high
technique. Everyone can cut the masking tape by scissors or fingers, and easily
put them on the paper on the table. Recently, masking art has been developed to
hospital art, which is often found in the entrance hall of several hospitals.
It can relax many people visiting the hospital.
In
summary, recent topics about art therapy have been described. Authors have
managed the activity of IMJ, and been involved in music therapy, masking tape
therapy and others. We hope that this article will become useful reference in
the CAM and IM region.
Conflicts of Interest
Author declares there are no
conflicts of interest.
Funding:
None.