Practicing art eases distress in healthcare professionals

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) may find benefits in participating in a creative arts therapy (CAT) program, which a recent study has shown to be not only feasible and acceptable but also effective in minimizing psychological distress and reducing turnover intention.

A team of investigators enrolled HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic from September 2020 until July 2021. Participants joined weekly in-person, 90-minute group sessions for 12 consecutive weeks.

The investigators randomized 165 HCPs into four CAT interventions and one common control group across three sequential cohorts. Participants in the intervention and control groups completed surveys before and after the end of sessions.

The following outcomes were assessed: session attendance (feasibility); program satisfaction (acceptability); and change in symptoms of anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and job turnover intention.

Of the participants, 35 dropped out prior to the start of the program, while 16 were replaced from a waiting list. The final cohort included 146 HCPs. Participants had a mean age of 35 years, majority of which were White (85 percent) and female (92 percent). Of the HCPs, 52 percent were nurses, 10 percent were doctors, and 16 percent were behavioural health specialists.

Median attendance of the participants was 9.5 sessions. HCPs reported high program satisfactions, with a median Client Satisfaction Questionnaire score of 31 out of a possible score of 32. Participants in the intervention group showed improvements in anxiety (p<0.0001) and depression scores (p=0.0007), total PTSD score (p=0.0002), burnout scores (p=0.001, p=0.003, p=0.008), and turnover intention (p=0.001).

“Work-related psychological distress is common among HCPs,” the investigators said.