Interviewing Teachers

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Art can be created anywhere, while art therapy has a specific purpose: exploring thoughts and feelings through visual art. It involves guiding the patient through steps like setting goals, choosing a medium, expressing themselves, discussing results, and planning future sessions. Although art therapy provides structured emotional exploration, creating art independently can also benefit mental health, offering self-expression, creativity, and stress relief. Engaging deeply in art can be similar to meditation, activating the prefrontal cortex and aiding in self-expression and neurological development.

Research on art therapy highlights its impact on cognitive well-being. Based on collaborative studies with other researchers, Judith A. Rubin's book Art Therapy Today emphasizes the importance of the "creative experience" in early childhood development. The Walden School's studies showed that art therapists and teachers aim to foster individual growth and self-realization through techniques connected to the inner psyche. Harriet Wadeson's study with schizophrenic patients revealed common themes in their artwork, such as depictions of brains and positive emotions. She concluded that art helps patients understand and manage their feelings.

Neuroaesthetics explores how art affects the body, brain, and behavior and translates this knowledge into practice. Advances in brain imaging have revealed that art impacts the brain through neuroplasticity, where enriched sensory experiences foster brain growth. Studies using MRIs have shown that visual stimuli from art can enhance brain development, leading some hospitals to include art installations. Similarly, the NIDA Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, involving over 11,800 children, uses MRIs to examine how art influences cognitive development.  NIDA notes that art training strengthens brain functions.

 Imagination plays a crucial role in children's cognitive development. Studies compiled by the National Library of Medicine show its impact, such as Heider and Simmel's research, which found that children can interpret moving shapes on a screen as social agents with goals and emotions. Tamar Kushnir’s findings indicated that participants used their imagination to create narratives involving conflict and heroism from these shapes. Similarly, Gergely’s study showed that infants use imagination to infer intentions in social interactions, such as deciding how to turn on a light based on observed actions. Jerome L. Singer also highlighted the importance of imagination in understanding reality, suggesting that children’s daydreams and visual imagery are vital for cognitive and sensory development. 

 Recent research raises concerns about anxiety and stress’s impact on children. A National Library of Medicine study found that Covid-19 has increased the chance of poor mental health in children. The study states that “anxiety and stress have essentially become public health issues.” Further studies show that anxiety and stress rates are rising. A report from the National Institute of Health showed that there has been an increase in mental health disorders in ages 10-19,  depression episodes in ages 12-17, and anxiety in age 2-18. Stress can make these mental health issues worse. 

One thing that has been proven to help children is art. In the article, The Art of Destressing: How Creativity Creates Less Stress, the author explains that art therapy has been successfully used to reduce the impacts of depression, anxiety, cognitive impairments, and mental disorders.

Hospital wait times in the United States average around 2 hours and 30 minutes, with many leaving ERs after waiting over 54 minutes. The National Library of Medicine highlights that Americans are among the most stressed globally, and this stress is amplified in hospital environments, where patients face physical discomfort, long waits, and concerns about their outcomes. This dynamic also affects healthcare providers, stressed about completing their jobs, patient loads, and media exposure. Children's hospitals, particularly, face increasing pressures, seeing around 250 patients daily. The rise in pediatric ED visits, driven by conditions like COVID-19 and a surge in mental health issues, has exacerbated stress for both patients and medical staff. The mental health crisis among young patients further contributes to overcrowding, creating a challenging environment for all involved.