Drawing in a Circle: Therapeutic Benefits on Anxiety in High and Low Stress Conditions

Abstract

Prior research suggests that creating art can reduce mental health symptoms, such as anxiety. It has also been proposed that creating art within the geometric shape of a circle may confer additional therapeutic benefits. However, it remains unclear whether creating art within a circle or creating art with no restrictions reduces anxiety in both low and/or high stress conditions. A total of 158 students participated in an experimental 2 (high stress/low stress) x 3 (draw within a circle, draw freeform, and control) between-subjects design. Anxiety levels significantly decreased across all three conditions after a stressor, but only the drawing conditions decreased anxiety below baseline levels. Results suggest that drawing within a circle and drawing freeform both reduce anxiety following a stressor.

Keywords:

• Drawing
• art therapy
• mandala
• anxiety
• meditative benefit
• stress

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in Scholarsphere repository (doi:10.26207/5z17-7t68).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aris Karagiorgakis

Aris Karagiorgakis, PhD, is an Assistant Teaching Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Lemont Furnace, PA.

Kaitlin Palmer

Kaitlin Palmer, MEd, is at Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD.