Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool

Art therapy has been recognized as beneficial and effective since first described by Adrian Hill in 1942. Even before this time, art therapy was utilized for moral reinforcement and psychoanalysis. Art therapy aids patients with, but not limited to, chronic illness, physical challenges, and cancer i...

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Main Authors: Robert A. Bitonte, Marisa De Santo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-03-01
Series:Mental Illness
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Online Access:http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/mi/article/view/5354
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author Robert A. Bitonte
Marisa De Santo
author_facet Robert A. Bitonte
Marisa De Santo
author_sort Robert A. Bitonte
collection DOAJ
description Art therapy has been recognized as beneficial and effective since first described by Adrian Hill in 1942. Even before this time, art therapy was utilized for moral reinforcement and psychoanalysis. Art therapy aids patients with, but not limited to, chronic illness, physical challenges, and cancer in both pediatric and adult scenarios. Although effective in patient care, the practice of art therapy is extremely underutilized, especially in suburban areas. While conducting our own study in northeastern Ohio, USA, we found that only one out of the five inpatient institutions in the suburban area of Mahoning County, Ohio, that we contacted provided continuous art therapy to it’s patients. In the metropolitan area of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, only eight of the twenty-two inpatient institutions in the area provided art therapy. There could be many reasons as to why art therapy is not frequently used in these areas, and medical institutions in general. The cause of this could be the amount of research done on the practice. Although difficult to conduct formal research on such a broad field, the American Art Therapy Association has succeeded in doing such, with studies showing improvement of the patient groups emotionally and mentally in many case types.
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spelling doaj-art-d7f9b63081c948efb7968a43b0888d4a2025-08-20T02:21:11ZengWileyMental Illness2036-74572036-74652014-03-016110.4081/mi.2014.53542870Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective toolRobert A. Bitonte0Marisa De Santo1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CAUniversity of California, Irvine, CAArt therapy has been recognized as beneficial and effective since first described by Adrian Hill in 1942. Even before this time, art therapy was utilized for moral reinforcement and psychoanalysis. Art therapy aids patients with, but not limited to, chronic illness, physical challenges, and cancer in both pediatric and adult scenarios. Although effective in patient care, the practice of art therapy is extremely underutilized, especially in suburban areas. While conducting our own study in northeastern Ohio, USA, we found that only one out of the five inpatient institutions in the suburban area of Mahoning County, Ohio, that we contacted provided continuous art therapy to it’s patients. In the metropolitan area of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, only eight of the twenty-two inpatient institutions in the area provided art therapy. There could be many reasons as to why art therapy is not frequently used in these areas, and medical institutions in general. The cause of this could be the amount of research done on the practice. Although difficult to conduct formal research on such a broad field, the American Art Therapy Association has succeeded in doing such, with studies showing improvement of the patient groups emotionally and mentally in many case types.http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/mi/article/view/5354art, therapy, mental illness, head trauma
spellingShingle Robert A. Bitonte
Marisa De Santo
Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool
Mental Illness
art, therapy, mental illness, head trauma
title Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool
title_full Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool
title_fullStr Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool
title_full_unstemmed Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool
title_short Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool
title_sort art therapy an underutilized yet effective tool
topic art, therapy, mental illness, head trauma
url http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/mi/article/view/5354
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