Museum Moving to Inpatients: Le Louvre à l'Hôpital

The therapeutic potential of bedside art observation in hematologic cancer inpatients: a randomized controlled pilot study

PURPOSE

Prior research has suggested that art-based interventions may reduce anxiety in cancer patients and enhance dialogue in the healthcare setting. Through implementing Art at the Bedside, an art-based hospital visitation program, we sought to examine whether dedicated art observation sessions, and varying formats (with and without guided discussion), could have therapeutic effects on cancer patients' mental wellbeing.

METHODS

This randomized controlled pilot study evaluated the effects of bedside art observation on anxiety in a sample of 73 hematologic cancer inpatients. We compared state anxiety, as measured by an abbreviated form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Y-6), across three groups (participants who observed an electronic selection of artwork with and without guided discussion, and a control group that did not engage in either dedicated art observation activity).

RESULTS

We found that mean anxiety scores were significantly lower among those who participated in guided art observation, compared to those who did not (8.92 versus 12.1, scored on a scale of 6 to 24, p = 0.009, with a medium effect size (η² = 12.7)). The majority of participants who engaged in art observation felt that the activity provided positive distraction (85.7%) and decreased boredom (79.6%), and many noted that it reduced feelings of anxiety (46.9%) and depression (24.5%).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that bedside art observation, particularly with guided discussion, may be a promising complementary therapy for reducing cancer-related anxiety and improving the patient experience in the inpatient hematology/oncology setting, and would benefit from further inquiry.

Exploring the Effects of Guided vs. Unguided Art Therapy Methods

Art therapy has become known by its psychosocial and affective impact, but not so much by its effects on cognitive functioning. Based on a comparison between art therapy and music-making programs, we hypothesized that guided methods—dominant in music-making programs and characterized by an emphasis on execution (play the piece, produce the visual object) rather than ideation (conceive the visual object)—could boost the cognitive effects of art-making. We also hypothesized that removing ideation from the process with guided methods could decrease psychosocial/affective benefits. In order to test our hypotheses, we compared the effects of two art therapy methods on cognitive vs. psychosocial/affective domains. We implemented a short-term longitudinal study with patients with schizophrenia showing both psychosocial/affective and cognitive deficits. The sample was divided into two groups: unguided, instructed to ideate art pieces and execute them without external guidance, vs. guided, instructed to execute predefined art pieces following externally provided guidelines. There was no evidence that guided methods boost cognitive effects, since these were equivalent across groups. However, psychosocial/affective benefits were enhanced by unguided methods, suggesting that therapeutic methods can make a difference. Our study contributes to raising important new questions concerning the therapeutic mechanisms of art therapy.

The Relationship between Knowledge about the Artist’s Mental Illness and Artwork Reception

Art reception is a complex process influenced by many factors, both internal and external. A review of the literature shows that knowledge about the artist, including their mental health, has an impact on the general assessment of their artwork. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between knowledge about the artist’s mental illness and the perception of the artwork. We focused on the subjective emotional experience and general assessment of ten specific pictures painted by patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The research followed four cohorts (two groups divided into two subgroups—art experts and laypeople) of students for over a month. The results revealed significant differences between the two general groups as well as between the ‘expert’ and ‘laypeople’ groups. The findings showed that non-aesthetic categories (e.g., knowledge about the mental illness of an artist) were related to artwork perception and support a holistic and dynamic approach to aesthetic emotions.

The Relationship between Knowledge about the Artist’s Mental Illness and Artwork Reception

Art reception is a complex process influenced by many factors, both internal and external. A review of the literature shows that knowledge about the artist, including their mental health, has an impact on the general assessment of their artwork. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between knowledge about the artist’s mental illness and the perception of the artwork. We focused on the subjective emotional experience and general assessment of ten specific pictures painted by patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The research followed four cohorts (two groups divided into two subgroups—art experts and laypeople) of students for over a month. The results revealed significant differences between the two general groups as well as between the ‘expert’ and ‘laypeople’ groups. The findings showed that non-aesthetic categories (e.g., knowledge about the mental illness of an artist) were related to artwork perception and support a holistic and dynamic approach to aesthetic emotions.