Art therapy in addiction recovery the face of addiction through artworks based on clinical case studies
Abstract
Given the multifaceted nature of addiction, a multidisciplinary and comprehensive therapeutic approach is essential. Art therapy has therefore become an important complementary intervention in both inpatient and outpatient treatment settings. Numerous studies support its applicability and effectiveness among individuals with addiction. Art therapy can be particularly beneficial in reducing pervasive feelings of shame and anxiety, as well as in facilitating the processing of traumatic experiences - phenomena that are common among people with substance use disorder (SUD) and are often difficult to articulate verbally. The study examines the use of art therapy with clients with SUD, with a specific focus on the therapeutic factors that emerge through clinical practice. The analysis is grounded in three interrelated theoretical frameworks that help explain potential mechanisms of change in art therapy: trauma theory, mentalization-based approaches, and neurobiological and reward-related models. The case studies draw on two closed art therapy groups, consisting of 8 and 12 sessions respectively, at a drug outpatient treatment centre. Each group comprised eight adult participants with SUD. Most participants presented with comorbid conditions. Findings from the case studies suggest that the therapeutic factors associated with art therapy play a meaningful role in clients' recovery processes. Evidence of recovery is reflected in the artworks produced during therapy, which offer…
Read the paper
Related studies
- The neurocircuitry of addiction: an overview
- Gender Differences in Human Brain: A Review
- Stratified medicine for mental disorders
- The neurobiology of drug addiction: cross-species insights into the dysfunction and recovery of the prefrontal cortex
- Annual Research Review: DNA methylation as a mediator in the association between risk exposure and child and adolescent psychopathology
- Schizophrenia: The new etiological synthesis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.