The Influence of Art Making on Anxiety: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This study examined the psychological effects of art making in a sample of 57 undergraduate students. One week prior to final examinations, participants were randomly assigned to either an art-making group or a control group. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered before and after participation. Art making activities included painting or coloring pre-designed mandalas, free-form painting, collage making, still life drawing, and modeling with clay. The mean state anxiety score between pre-activity and post-activity decreased significantly in the art-making group, whereas no difference was found in the control group. Similarly, the mean trait anxiety score between pre-activity and post-activity in the art-making group was significantly lower, and no difference was observed in the controls. These findings suggest that a brief period of art making can significantly reduce a person's state of anxiety, which may have implications for art and art therapy programs that offer methods for helping college students and others coping with stress.

Acknowledgments

Editor's Note: David Alan Sandmire, MD, MA, is a Professor of Biology at the University of New England, Biddeford, ME, where he teaches courses in neuroscience and pathophysiology. Sarah Roberts Gorham, MFA, MAT, is an Assistant Professor in the Creative and Fine Arts Department at the University of New England, Biddeford, ME. Nancy Elizabeth Rankin, MEd, LPC, is a Senior Lecturer of Psychology at the University of New England, Biddeford, ME. David Robert Grimm, EdD, is an Assistant Lecturer of Biology and researcher in the field of the autonomic nervous system at the University of New England, Biddeford, ME.