Americans for the Arts

"This paper details a pilot study that used a six-week visual journaling art therapy group with military veterans in recovery in order to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Two participants completed the journaling group, pre- and posttest Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation—Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), and an individual interview. The data from the CORE-OM were analyzed to determine change in overall score as well as the domains of life functioning, risk/harm, problems/symptoms, and subjective well-being. The individual interviews were analyzed to

"Preliminary evidence from self-report measures indicates positive effects on mood, self-esteem, socialization and community participation among the veteran participants and recognition among staff that the course aids the veterans’ recovery process. Appreciating art thus appears to promote both subjective and objective improvement in recovery and community re-integration for veterans who are experiencing chronic and disabling emotional distress."

This document provides evidence that supports successful creative arts therapies and arts in healthcare programs in hopes of encouraging growth of these program to improve our country's health and wellness.

The 2013 topic for the National Arts Policy Roundtable, Arts and Healing: Mind, Body and Community proposed that the arts can play an important role in the rehabilitation of those who have experienced both mental and physical traumas, including our nation's wounded servicemen and women.

Published in October, 2013 the report, Arts, Health, and Well-Being Across the Military Continuum - White Paper and Framing a National Plan for Action, details a series of recommendations in the areas of research, practice, and policy that came out of two national convenings. The convening were The Arts and Health in the Military National Roundtable (November 2012) and the National Summit: Arts, Health, and Well-Being Across the Military Continuum.

Art therapy can be beneficial to people of all ages, including adults who have emotional, cognitive, and /or physical disabilities. Our nation’s Veterans often return home with acute psychological or medical conditions that impair functioning, disrupt family relationships, and prevent reentry into the workforce. Others may develop chronic disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that require months or even years of counseling or rehabilitation. For Veterans who are receiving psychiatric care for PTSD and other emotional conditions, art therapy can be an effective form of

Power point presentation from the webinar presented by the Arts and Health Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Arts & Health) entitled, Coming Home to the Arts: Bringing Creative Arts Opportunities to Wounded Warriors, Their Families, and Military Hospital Staff led by Judy Rollins, PhD, RN and Ermyn King, MA in 2011.

Power point presentation from the webinar presented by the Arts and Health Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Arts & Health) entitled, Reuniting through the Arts: Offering Creative Arts Experiences That Support Families of Returning Wounded Troops, led by Judy Rollins, PhD, RN, Rollins & Associates, and Ermyn King, MA, ArtStream, Inc. in 2012.