Exploring the evocative qualities of masks' visual imagery and their associations with adversity and trauma.

Introduction: Studies suggest a relationship between the emotional evocativeness of visual imagery and viewer responses, however, there is limited understanding of these associations, especially as they relate to viewers' personal experiences of adversities.

Methods: In this exploratory study, we examined the relationship between the visual content of mask images and viewers' responses. In an online survey 699 participants (of  = 1,010 total initial participants) rated 98 masks based on valence, arousal, and personal relevance and completed the Life Events Checklist.

A conceptual framework for a neurophysiological basis of art therapy for PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a heterogeneous condition that affects many civilians and military service members. Lack of engagement, high dropout rate, and variable response to psychotherapy necessitates more compelling and accessible treatment options that are based on sound neuroscientific evidence-informed decision-making. Art therapy incorporates elements proven to be effective in psychotherapy, such as exposure, making it a potentially valuable treatment option.

Living With Toxic Wounds: The Voices and Visual Self-Representations of Gulf War Veterans.

Operations Desert Shield and Storm occurred over 30 years ago, yet many of those who were deployed continue to experience chronic and debilitating symptoms, now recognized as Gulf War Illness (GWI). While efforts have been made to explore clinical treatments for GWI, misperceptions and skepticism about its complex nature and a lack of consensus on its etiology impede progress in this area. A critical necessity remains to better understand the experiences, needs, and concerns of veterans with GWI.

"Through the fire and flames, we carry on:" Art Therapy Small N Feasibility Study With Adult Burn Patients in an Acute Care Setting.

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of facilitating four sessions of art therapy intervention with a primary focus on implementation and acceptability. The exploratory aim was on assessing the effect of art therapy on self-reported outcomes on anxiety and mood among five individuals (aged 18+ years) hospitalized for burn injuries and to understand their perceptions of engagement with art therapy. A convergent mixed-methods small N design was adopted wherein both quantitative and qualitative data are gathered and then integrated, and an individual served as his/her own control when assessed before and after art therapy.

Art Therapy in Burn Cases: A Review and Case Examples.

In this article, we provide an overview of the literature on contributions of art making and medical art therapy for patients with burn injuries. The potential value of art therapy in addressing the complex physical and psychosocial needs of burn patients is discussed through examination of 7 peer-reviewed articles. Two case examples of burn survivors, 1 pediatric and 1 adult, are included to demonstrate the use of art therapy in an inpatient and outpatient setting, respectively.

Art therapy in pediatric burn care: A conceptual framework for clinical practice.

Burn injuries are an unexpected traumatic event and can be physically and emotionally devastating for a child and their families. This article presents a conceptual framework for art therapy practice with pediatric burns, founded on the three stages of burn treatment- critical, acute, and rehabilitation. The framework is based on narrative synthesis of research on the psychosocial needs of children with burn injuries, art therapy literature on pediatric burn patients, as well as in medical settings.

From Therapeutic Factors to Mechanisms of Change in the Creative Arts Therapies: A Scoping Review.

Empirical studies in the creative arts therapies (CATs; i.e., art therapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, psychodrama, and poetry/bibliotherapy) have grown rapidly in the last 10 years, documenting their positive impact on a wide range of psychological and physiological outcomes (e.

Collage-based graphic elicitation method for capturing the lived experiences of veterans with Gulf War illness.

Aims: Graphic elicitation is an emergent data gathering approach in qualitative research. An overview of the development and application of a collage based graphic elicitation method in gaining greater understanding about the experience of Gulf War Illness (GWI) is presented in this paper. The unique contributions of this method are also discussed.