Connecting identities through drawing: Relationships between identities in images drawn by immigrant students

Art-based interventions and art therapy to promote health of migrant populations - a systematic literature review of current research

BACKGROUND

This review aims to identify and analyse studies on art-based interventions and art therapy that are intended to promote better physical, mental and social health outcomes in culturally and linguistically diverse migrant populations.

METHOD

A systematic literature review was used to address the following questions: 1) What published studies over the past five years examined health outcomes? 2) What are the identifying characteristics of the studies? 3) What kinds of effect did these studies describe? 4) What implications do the findings have for future research in this field?

RESULTS

Art-based interventions and art therapy can significantly reduce traumatic stress symptoms and anxiety, enhance well-being by giving people greater life satisfaction and hope, and improve the social behaviour of children and adolescents.

CONCLUSION

In order to address humanitarian concerns in this field, researchers may apply innovative approaches to engage people from a refugee background in meaningful reflections on their lives.

Designing and assessing of an art-based intervention for undocumented migrants

BACKGROUND

Undocumented immigrants and refugees are more likely to suffer from psychosocial disorders.

METHODOLOGY

In this pilot study, an art-based intervention is described and assessed, with a sample of 11undocumented immigrants who recently came to southern Spain on a small boat. The art-based intervention is assessed using a pre-post design and four questionnaires, which consist of The General Health Questionnaire, Beck's Depression Inventory, the Barcelona Immigrant Stress Scale and Carol Ryff's Psychological Well Being Scale. Furthermore, five participants were interviewed before and after the intervention and a thematic analysis of the transcriptions was carried out.

RESULTS

A significant reduction of depressive symptoms with a large effect size was found. An increase of reflexive discourse and the feeling of belonging after the intervention was also observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggests that the art-based intervention decreased depressive symptoms and stress, redirecting the narratives of the participants towards the future and increasing the sense of community.