Stevenson Hayley, Alzyood Mamdooh
Health and Social Care, Warwickshire College Group Leamington Spa College, Warwick New Rd, Leamington Spa, CV32 5JE, UK.
Public Health, Infection Prevention and Control Consultant, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2025 May 3;25(1):1641. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22741-0.
To synthesise evidence on how both structured art therapy and informal creative engagement supported adult mental well-being during COVID-19-related isolation, and to evaluate their applicability across diverse populations and contexts.
A quasi-systematic review of qualitative studies from CINAHL, PsycInfo, and PubMed (2020-2024), analysed through thematic synthesis.
Analysis of seven studies identified five key themes: (1) emotional processing and expression through symbolic creation, (2) adaptive communication and nonverbal connection, (3) communal support and collective meaning-making, (4) empowerment and regaining agency, and (5) transformation of trauma into post-traumatic growth. Marginalised groups-including isolated elderly individuals, disabled adults, and low-income families-benefited significantly from both formal art therapy and informal artistic activities, which addressed barriers such as limited mobility, communication challenges, and social disconnection.
Art-based interventions demonstrate potential as scalable, low-resource tools for mental health support, particularly for individuals experiencing isolation or other forms of vulnerability, such as disability or displacement. However, equitable implementation requires hybrid delivery models and cultural adaptation. While qualitative findings highlight art's capacity to externalise distress and sustain connection, methodological constraints (small homogenous samples) necessitate mixed-methods validation of long-term outcomes.
Integrating art into public health frameworks could mitigate isolation-related psychological harm, particularly for marginalised groups. Future research should prioritise cross-cultural adaptation of interventions, community-led co-design, and studies that examine how social factors like disability, income, and cultural context intersect to shape the effectiveness of art-based mental health support.
Not applicable.
综合关于结构化艺术疗法和非正式创意活动如何在与新冠肺炎相关的隔离期间支持成年人心理健康的证据，并评估它们在不同人群和背景下的适用性。
对来自护理学与健康领域数据库（CINAHL）、心理学文摘数据库（PsycInfo）和医学期刊数据库（PubMed）（2020 - 2024年）的定性研究进行准系统综述，并通过主题综合分析。
对七项研究的分析确定了五个关键主题：（1）通过象征性创作进行情绪处理和表达；（2）适应性沟通和非语言联系；（3）社区支持和集体意义建构；（4）赋权和重新获得能动性；（5）将创伤转化为创伤后成长。包括孤立的老年人、残疾成年人和低收入家庭在内的边缘化群体从正式艺术疗法和非正式艺术活动中均显著受益，这些活动克服了诸如行动不便、沟通挑战和社会隔离等障碍。
基于艺术的干预措施显示出作为可扩展、低资源心理健康支持工具的潜力，特别是对于经历隔离或其他形式脆弱性（如残疾或流离失所）的个体。然而，公平实施需要混合交付模式和文化适应。虽然定性研究结果突出了艺术外化痛苦和维持联系的能力，但方法学限制（样本小且同质化）需要对长期结果进行混合方法验证。
将艺术纳入公共卫生框架可以减轻与隔离相关的心理伤害，特别是对边缘化群体。未来的研究应优先考虑干预措施的跨文化适应、社区主导的共同设计，以及研究残疾、收入和文化背景等社会因素如何相互作用以塑造基于艺术的心理健康支持的有效性。
不适用。
