The Art Room may help troubled kids
A 10-week art therapy program in schools around the United Kingdom has seen an improvement of behaviours among troubled kids.
The Art Room began in 2002 and is aimed at children between ages 5 and 16 who have been identified by their teachers as having emotional and behavioural problems.
The program, which has seen 10, 000 children attending it, has been published in the journal The Arts in Psychotherapy. According to the article, children emerge from the program with less depression, fewer behavioural problems and improved self-esteem.
School-based art therapy in the UK is helping troubled kids get back on track, a new study suggests.
Begun in 2002, The Art Room program is aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 16 who have been identified by their teachers as needing emotional and behavioral support.
Currently there are nine Art Room programs in UK schools. More than 10,000 children have been through the Art Room program since it started.
In a study published in the journal The Arts in Psychotherapy, researchers found that children emerged from the 10-week Art Room program with less depression, fewer behavioural problems and improved self-esteem.
The Art Room provides a caring and creative environment through which children can “learn and achieve through art,” said Melissa Cortina, a consultant research psychologist with The Art Room, which is based in Oxford, England.
“It works closely with schools to support children within the school environment and help them find creative ways to bolster their self-esteem,” she added.
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
