Visual arts participation and young children’s social emotional wellbeing: a scoping review

Figures & data

Table 1. Inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Category	Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Subject	The review subject must examine the effects of arts participation on children’s wellbeing, attachment relationships, or other related cognitive domains. At least one study in the review must address visual art participation.
Population	Children aged 0–9 years. Excluded: Adults and adolescents (10 years and older).
Review type	Included: Peer-reviewed articles: systematic reviews, rapid reviews, scoping reviews. Evidence summary reports in which synthesis has taken place. Excluded: Student theses, narrative reviews which do not attempt to locate all relevant literature or provide inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Publication date	Reviews must have been published before 01 April 2021.
Methodology	Search strategies and inclusion criteria must be clearly described.
Availability	Reviews must be available online, in English.

Figure 1. PRISMA 2009 Flow diagram detailing search process.

Table 2. Characteristics of included reviews with children 0–9 years old.

Review	Search Period	Publication Period of Studies	Population Age and Setting	Artforms Considered	Studies 0-5yrs & Visual Art
APPGAHW (2017)	Not specified	1946–2017	General population	Visual and performing arts, crafts, dance, film, literature, music, singing, gardening.	2/43^a
Armstrong and Ross (2020)	All periods to 2019	2000–2019	Parent-infant dyads	Visual art.	14/14
Bosgraaf et al. (2020)	All periods to 2020	1990–2020	4–20 years with emotional, behavioural, and social problems, in clinical and educational settings	Visual art therapy (2D and 3D techniques).	2/37
Bungay and Vella-Burrows (2013)	2004–2011	2004–2010	11–18 years, in community settings (one study with children 8–13 years).	Drama, performance art or forum theatre, visual arts, dance, music.	0/20
Callinan and Coyne (2020)	All periods to 29 Jan 2018	2006–2015	4–18 years, with chronic conditions receiving transitional care	Visual arts (film/video production, time-based media, photography, animation, sculpture, audio, installation, sound).	0/7
Dahan-Oliel, Shikako-Thomas, and Majnemer (2012)	1950–2011	2003–2011	0–19 years, with neurodevelopmental disabilities	Performing arts.	0/19
Derman and Deatrick (2016)	All periods to 2 Dec 2014	1993–2010	2–21 years, with cancer undergoing treatment	Visual art therapy.	5/6
Fancourt and Finn (2019)	January 2000–May 2019	1979–2019	General population	Performing arts, visual arts, design, craft, literature, cultural attendance, online/digital/electronic arts.	0/20^b
Jindal-Snape et al. (2018)	2004–2016	2004–2015	2–18 years, in formal education	Mixed artforms (visual art, music and creative movement), performing arts.	1/30
Jindal-Snape, Scott, and Davies (2014)	2004–2014	2004–2013	Children of school and pre-school age	Performing arts with a music focus, mixed artforms (inc. visual art).	1/31 (as above)
Leenarts et al. (2013)	All periods to 26 July 2012	2000–2012	2–25 years, exposed to childhood maltreatment	Visual art therapy.	0/33
McDonald and Drey (2018)	Not specified	1993–2013	7–13 years, at primary school, experiencing various issues	Visual art therapy (among other therapeutic techniques).	0/4
Menzer (2015)	2000–2015	2004–2014	0–8 years	Music and dance, drama/theatre, visual arts.	2/18
Moula et al. (2020)	1 Jan 1980–31 Mar 2018	2001–2017	5–12 years, at primary school	Visual art therapy, music therapy, drama therapy.	0/7
Moula (2020)	1 Jan 1980–1 Dec 2018	1993–2016	5–12 years, in school settings	Visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpture, clay, or digital art).	0/8
Mowlah et al. (2014)	2010–2013	2010–2013	General population	All arts and culture, including sport and libraries.	0/38^c
Schweizer, Knorth, and Spreen (2014)	1985–2012	1991–2012	<18 years, with ASD and normal/high intelligence	Visual art therapy.	1/18
Slayton, D'Archer, and Kaplan (2010)	1999–2007	1999–2008	General population	Visual art therapy.	6/35
Toma et al. (2014)	2004–2014	2004–2014	General population	Visual art, dance, craft, design, sculpture, music, drama, theatre, creative writing, cultural attendance.	0/25
Uttley et al. (2015)	All periods to May 2013	2001–2013	People with non-psychotic mental health disorders	Visual art therapy.	0/27
van Westrhenen and Fritz (2014)	2000–2012	2001–2012	0–18 years, who had experienced a traumatic event	Visual art, dance, drama, music, cinema.	6/38
Zarobe and Bungay (2017)	All periods to August 2016	2005–2016	11–18 years	Drama/theatre, music, visual arts, dance.	0/8

Note: Selection from relevant sections:

^a Gestation and Birth, Perinatal Mental Health, and Early Childhood Development.

^b Child Development: Mother Infant Bonding, and Educational Attainment.

^c Health and Wellbeing, Society, and Education.

Table 3. Characteristics of studies included in subset analysis of visual art studies with children 0–5 years old (excluding pregnancy and birth interventions).

Review	Relevant Studies	Domains
APPGAHW (2017)^a	White et al. (2010)	Parental wellbeing
	Black et al. (2015)^b	Parental mental wellbeing and child emotional development
Armstrong and Ross (2020)	Armstrong, Dalinkeviciute, and Ross (2019)	Attachment relationships
	Armstrong and Howatson (2015)	Attachment relationships
	Arroyo and Fowler (2013)	Attachment relationships and parental mental health
	Black et al. (2015) (as above)	Parental mental wellbeing and child emotional development
	Hall (2008)	Attachment relationships
	Hosea (2006)	Attachment relationships
	Hosea (2011)	Attachment relationships
	Hosea (2017)	Attachment relationships
	Lavey-Khan and Reddick (2018)	Attachment relationships
	Meyerowitz-Katz (2017)	Attachment relationships, intergenerational trauma
	Parashak (2008)	Attachment relationships
	Proulx (2000)	Attachment relationships
	Proulx (2002)	Attachment relationships
	Proulx (2003)	Attachment relationships
Bosgraaf et al. (2020)	Saunders and Saunders (2000)	Problematic behaviours
	Siegel et al. (2016)	Mood in hospitalised children
Derman and Deatrick (2016)	Councill (1993)	Coping mechanisms expressed through art
	Favara-Scacco et al. (2001)	Cooperative behaviour
	Madden et al. (2010)	Quality of life, mood
	Massimo and Zarri (2006)	Coping mechanisms expressed through art
	Soanes et al. (2009)	Coping mechanisms expressed through art
Jindal-Snape et al. (2018)	Brown, Benedett, and Armistead (2010)^c	Literacy attainment
Jindal-Snape, Scott, and Davies (2014)	Brown, Benedett, and Armistead (2010) (as above)	Literacy attainment
Menzer (2015)	Muñiz, Silver, and Stein (2014)^d	Socio-emotional school readiness
	Brown and Sax (2013)^e	Emotional regulation
Schweizer, Knorth, and Spreen (2014)	Martin (2009)	Social/communication/learning skills in children with ASD
Slayton, D'Archer, and Kaplan (2010)	Ball (2002)	Emotional problems in children with attachment disorders
	Hosea (2006) (as above)	Attachment relationships
	Kearns (2004)	Behaviour in child with Sensory Integration difficulties
	Ponteri (2001)	Maternal mental health
	Saunders and Saunders (2000) (as above)	Problematic behaviours
	Favara-Scacco et al. (2001) (as above)	Cooperative behaviour
van Westrhenen and Fritz (2014)	Chilcote (2007)	Non-verbal expression of grief/trauma
	DiSunno, Linton, and Bowes (2011)	Non-verbal expression of grief/trauma
	Hanney and Kozlowska (2002)	Non-verbal expression of trauma-related feelings
	Howie et al. (2002)	Non-verbal expression of grief/trauma
	Klorer (2005)	Non-verbal expression of trauma
	Kozlowska and Hanney (2001)	Expression of trauma to manage anxiety/stress

Note: Selection decisions described below.

^a Studies and reports in relevant chapters (Gestation and Birth, Perinatal Mental Health, and Early Childhood Development). Report also included reference to the literature review by Menzer (2015), which appears in the table in its own right.

^b The report cites the author of this paper as South London Gallery, so for simplicity we have used the citation format which also appears in Armstrong and Ross (2020).

^c Mixed artforms including visual art.

^d Visual arts in the form of ‘block building’ as an aspect of ‘play’: measures frequency of family dinners, reading, storytelling, singing, and play.

^e Mixed artforms including visual art.

Figure 2. Publication date of reviews.

Table A1. Reviews selected for full-text appraisal.

	Review
1	All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (2017)
2	Armstrong and Ross (2020)
3	Bosgraaf et al. (2020)
4	Bungay and Vella-Burrows (2013)
5	Callinan and Coyne (2020)
6	Colegrove and Havighurst (2017)
7	Dahan-Oliel, Shikako-Thomas, and Majnemer (2012)
8	Daykin et al. (2008)
9	Derman and Deatrick (2016)
10	Fancourt and Finn (2019)
11	Galloway (2007)
12	Hogan, Sheffield, and Woodward (2017)
13	Jindal-Snape et al. (2018)
14	Jindal-Snape, Scott, and Davies (2014)
15	Leckey (2011)
16	Leenarts et al. (2013)
17	McDonald and Drey (2018)
18	Menzer (2015)
19	Moula (2020)
20	Moula et al. (2020)
21	Mowlah et al. (2014)
22	Perruzza and Kinsella (2010)
23	Schweizer, Knorth, and Spreen (2014)
24	Slayton, D'Archer, and Kaplan (2010)
25	Toma et al. (2014)
26	Tomlinson et al. (2018)
27	van Westrhenen and Fritz (2014)
28	Urquhart et al. (2020)
29	Uttley et al. (2015)
30	Zarobe and Bungay (2017)

Table A2. Reviews excluded at full text appraisal stage.

	Review	Reason For Exclusion
1	Colegrove and Havighurst (2017)	No visual art
2	Daykin et al. (2008)	Adult population
3	Galloway (2007)	Adult population
4	Hogan, Sheffield, and Woodward (2017)	Adult population (maternal focus)
5	Leckey (2011)	Adolescent and adult population
6	Perruzza and Kinsella (2010)	Only one child study, not described
7	Tomlinson et al. (2018)	Adolescent and adult population
8	Urquhart et al. (2020)	Narrative literature review

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