The Effect of Creative Arts Therapy on Psychological Distress in Health Care Professionals

Marc Moss; Anthony Edelblute; Hillary Sinn; Kristen Torres; Jeri Forster; Tisha Adams; Courtney Morgan; Michael Henry; Katherine Reed

doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.04.016

The Effect of Creative Arts Therapy on Psychological Distress in Health Care Professionals

Am J Med. 2022 Oct;135(10):1255-1262.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.04.016. Epub 2022 May 14.

Authors

Marc Moss¹, Anthony Edelblute², Hillary Sinn², Kristen Torres³, Jeri Forster⁴, Tisha Adams², Courtney Morgan⁵, Michael Henry⁵, Katherine Reed²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO. Electronic address: marc.moss@CUAnschutz.edu.
² Ponzio Creative Arts Therapy Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.
³ Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
⁴ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
⁵ Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Denver, CO.

PMID: 35576997
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.04.016

Abstract

Background: Work-related psychological distress is common among health care professionals. We determined whether 4 creative arts therapy (CAT) programs were acceptable, feasible, and improved psychological distress and job turnover intention in health care professionals with burnout symptoms.

Methods: Health care professionals were enrolled during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic from September 2020 until July 2021. Participants attended in-person weekly 90-minute group session for 12 consecutive weeks. Intervention and control subjects completed surveys before the beginning and after the end of their cohort. The study outcomes were session attendance (feasibility), program satisfaction (acceptability), and change in symptoms of anxiety, depression, burnout, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and job turnover intention.

Results: We randomized 165 participants into 4 CAT interventions and 1 common control group across 3 sequential cohorts. Thirty-five randomized participants dropped out before the start of the cohort, and 16 were replaced from a waiting list. Therefore, the cohort consisted of 146 participants. On average, participants were 35 years old, white (85%), and female (92%). Overall, 52% were nurses, 10% were doctors, and 16% were behavioral health specialists. Participants attended a median of 9.5 [8-11] sessions. Program satisfaction was high with a median Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) score of 31 [17-32] out of a possible score of 32. Participants randomized to the intervention had improvements in anxiety (P < .0001) and depression scores (P = .0007), total posttraumatic stress disorder score (P =.0002), burnout scores (P = .001, .003, .008), and turnover intention (P = .001).

Conclusions: A CAT program is feasible, acceptable, and may reduce psychological distress and turnover intention for health care professionals.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04276922.

Keywords: Anxiety; Burnout; Creative arts therapy; Depression; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Wellness.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Burnout, Professional* / prevention & control
COVID-19* / therapy
Female
Health Personnel
Humans
Job Satisfaction
Personnel Turnover
Psychological Distress*
Stress, Psychological / prevention & control

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04276922