Art Therapy as a Tool for Recovery in Traumatic Brain-Injured Veterans and Active Duty Soldiers: A Systematic Review

Abstract: Objective(s): To examine the role and impact of art therapy in the rehabil- itation of veterans and active duty soldiers with a history of traumatic brain injury. Data Sources: Peer reviewed primary source articles obtained through var- ious journals via Google Scholar. Original research studies between the years of 2016 - 2018 focusing on art therapy impact on TBI were analyzed. Study Selection: Sources that fulfilled the following criteria were consid- ered for this systematic review: 1. Studies must contain primary data. 2. Studies must be published between January 2016 and August 2023. 3. The study must fall into one of the following categories: clinical trial, case-con- trol study, or randomized control trial. 4. The studies must all be in English. 5. The study needed to include veterans/soldiers with a Traumatic Brain Injury receiving art therapy. Data Extraction: Independent extraction by multiple observers. Data Synthesis: Altogether, findings showed that art therapy provides pos- itive outcomes for individuals with TBI. For those involved with the mili- tary and who have experienced TBIs, they may receive better outcomes from art therapy than the general population. The studies suggest that not only does art therapy provide physical improvements but also may reduce anxiety and PTSD symptoms that soldiers and veterans might experience alongside their traumatic brain injury. Further, the studies also yielded results such as the promotion of feelings of well-being, fMRI results that were closer to non-injured subjects, increased ability to adapt to the experi- ences of life, reduction in depressive symptoms and in perception of physi- cal symptoms and fostered improvements in interpersonal relatedness. Conclusions: Empirical results from six distinct research studies highlighted the importance of art therapy in TBI rehabilitation including their extensive advantages. The combined findings involved demonstrate gains in physical recovery, symptom alleviation, as well as emotional well-being. This demonstrates the importance of the whole recovery pro- cess rather than a supplemental intervention.