A Literature review of the therapeutic mechanisms of art therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans is often managed with the use ofpsychological intervention such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye MovementDesensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). There is a body of evidence that suggests thatsome individuals do not respond as well as others to such interventions. Other strategies inuse to support veterans in recovery include art-based therapies and anecdotal evidencesuggests that these have therapeutic impact for veteran groups that do not benefit from theaforementioned psychological therapies. This article describes a review of the literatureassociated with art therapy with combat veterans, aiming to ascertain what the therapeuticmechanisms are for veterans in using art therapy to manage post-traumatic stress disordersymptoms. Themes became evident within the literature review that are discussed andanalysed, with resultant ideas for future research possibilities identified.