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Lorin Stansel

Professor Hugetz

ENGL-1302

9 February 2021

Art Therapy Effects on Depression and Self-Esteem

A 2020 Article wrote by Elife Basli goes into detail on explaining how Adults and

adolescence that suffer from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) struggle with a series of physical,

social, and emotional problems, such as depression, anxiety, and may have a negative or low

self-esteem. But it is proven that art activities show positive effects on people with these chronic

illnesses. Her article provides research and studies of art activities having many positive effects

on children and adolescence with chronic diseases, to help them cope with their health in making

them feel strong and confident. Basli aims to inform readers of the beneficial effects art therapy

techniques have on victims dealing with depression, anxiety, and quality of life in people and

adolescence with Type 1 Diabetes DM. The articles credibility builds through the different

studies performed, sources, the articles structure, and ethos to contribute to the effectiveness of

Elife Basli’s article “The Effects of Art Therapy Techniques on Depression, Anxiety Levels and

Quality of Life in the Adolescent with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Preliminary Study.”

The different studies conducted in the article illustrated that art therapy has positive

effects on helping children and adolescence cope with their chronic illnesses. In one study, art

therapy was used to help children cope with their anxiety and fear they had developed during

their long-term emotional distress. In another study with 22 children that suffer from asthmatic

issues, revealed that children’s life quality had become better and experienced less anxiety after
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art therapy. This shows that art therapy is a strong supporting method in helping children. In July

2017 through 2018 at Erciyes University Medical School, a study was performed with

adolescence between the ages of 13 and 18, with 21 that all had Type 1 DM. They were then

placed in groups that had supervised art therapy sessions, where they would experiment with

music, painting, clip art and clay lasting for 90 minutes every Saturday for 12 weeks. In the

sessions the participants were encouraged to express their feeling towards their diseases and

anxiety through the activities performed. By the last week, the participants gave an evaluation of

their experiences through the 11 weeks by painting, drawing, and writing to share with their

peers. By the end of the study, it compared data from before and after the Art Therapy sessions

showing results that the groups anxiety levels and depression decreased after the therapy session.

The data results provided in the article helped to determine the overall positive patterns and

behavior of the participants, that contributes to the point of art therapy and to the readers

understanding. The studies prove that Art Therapy helps children with anxiety and to de-stress.

The article solely focuses on the emotional, social, and physical impact art therapy has on those

suffering from chronic illnesses, and through observing studies performed on children and the

adolescence, their studies provide information that art therapy helps with anxiety and depression.

This comes to show that the studies included in the article contribute to the article’s

effectiveness.

In addition to the studies provided, this article provides sources that support the views of

how art therapy can assist children and adults. In one source from Australas Psychiatry, article

“Evaluating the use of Responsive Art Therapy in a Inpatient Child and Adolescence Mental

Health Services Unit” by Neilson F, in evaluating the use of Art Therapy in inpatient children,

tells how Art Therapy triggers positive growth in individuals, lessens their psychological
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problems, and helps cope with stress. In another source from J Human Services, article “The

Therapeutic Effects of Traditional Turkish Marbling Art on the Treatment with suffering from

Chronic Illnesses” by Utas M, conducts a study on children with chronic cancer, showing that

researchers are finding art therapy has a strong support effect on overcoming depression

developed after diagnosis. The sources the article provides are valid to the articles effectiveness

because it is not based on one person’s insight alone, but from another person’s insight and

studies, making the article more convincing and believable.