Potentiality of Mindfulness Art Therapy Short Version on Mood of Healthy People

Abstract

The present study examined the potential of Mindfulness Art Therapy Short version on mood of healthy people. The Mindfulness Art Therapy Short version consisted of two sessions and included factors of both mindfulness and art therapy. The Art Therapy alone consisted of two sessions including factors of art therapy. Seventeen college students received the Mindfulness Art Therapy Short version and twenty-two students received Art Therapy alone. All participants completed the Profile of Mood States pre- and post-interventions in each session. In the Mindfulness Art Therapy Short version group, scores for Tension-Anxiety, Depression-Dejection, and Fatigue-Inertia reduced and those for Vigor-Activity significantly increased after the program. In the Art Therapy group, although scores for Tension-Anxiety and Fatigue-Inertia decreased, the scores of Depression-Dejection and Vigor-Activity did not significantly change. The score of Total Mood significantly decreased only in the Mindfulness Art Therapy Short version. These results suggest that the Mindfulness Art Therapy Short Version may be more affective for improving mood, particularly depression and vigor, compared to Art Therapy alone.