TABLE 2.

Details of the Visual Arts Studies Reviewed

Author(s)	Year of Study	Study Design	No. of Participants	Study Population	Variable(s) Measured	Findings
Reynolds and Prior57	2003	Phenomenological	30	Chronic illness patients	Health and well-being	Art filled occupational voids, distracted thoughts of illness; improvements in flow and spontaneity, expression of grief, positive identity, social networks
Puig et al.58	2006	Randomized controlled trial (creative arts)	39	Breast cancer patients	Psychological variables	Improved well-being by decreasing negative emotions and increasing positive ones
Ross et al.59	2006	Pretest–posttest (arts in medicine program)	46	Hemodialysis patients	Medical outcomes, depression, dialysis times, weight gain, laboratory data	Improved medical outcomes, trends toward reduced depression and hemodialysis parameters
Walsh et al.60	2004	Pretest–posttest quasi-experimental	40	Cancer patients	Stress, anxiety, emotions	Reductions in stress and anxiety; increases in positive emotions
Nainis et al.61	2006	Pretest–posttest	50	Cancer patients	Pain and psychological variables	Reductions in distress and negative emotions
Samoray62	2006	Semistructured interviews	11	Trauma patients	Stress and fatigue	Reductions in stress and symptoms of compassion fatigue; increases in healing, well-being, and sense of purpose
Reynolds and Lim63	2007	Interviews and art	12	Cancer patients	Well-being	Improved focus on positive life experiences, self-worth, and social identity