TY - JOUR
T1 - Creative arts interventions to address depression in older adults
T2 - A systematic review of outcomes, processes, and mechanisms
AU - Dunphy, Kim
AU - Baker, Felicity A.
AU - Dumaresq, Ella
AU - Carroll-Haskins, Katrina
AU - Eickholt, Jasmin
AU - Ercole, Maya
AU - Kaimal, Girija
AU - Meyer, Kirsten
AU - Sajnani, Nisha
AU - Shamir, Opher Y.
AU - Wosch, Thomas
N1 - Funding Information:
Contributions were funded by University of Melbourne Mackenzie Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (KD); University of Melbourne Academic Assistantship (ED); Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions Research Fellowship (KC-H); New York University Research Assistance grant (OS); DAAD through Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany (TW, JE). The authors wish to acknowledge Patrick Condron and Georgina Binns from the University of Melbourne Library for invaluable consultation service
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Dunphy, Baker, Dumaresq, Carroll-Haskins, Eickholt, Ercole, Kaimal, Meyer, Sajnani, Shamir and Wosch.
PY - 2019/1/8
Y1 - 2019/1/8
N2 - Depression experienced by older adults is proving an increasing global health burden, with rates generally 7% and as high as 27% in the USA. This is likely to significantly increase in coming years as the number and proportion of older adults in the population rises all around the world. Therefore, it is imperative that the effectiveness of approaches to the prevention and treatment of depression are understood. Creative arts interventions, including art, dance movement, drama, and music modalities, are utilized internationally to target depression and depressive symptoms in older adults. This includes interventions led by trained arts therapists as well as other health and arts professionals. However, to date there has not been a systematic review that reports effects and examines the processes (why) and mechanisms (how) of creative arts interventions are used to address depression in this older age group. This systematic review of studies on creative arts interventions for older adults experiencing depression examined: outcomes of four creative arts modalities (art, dance movement, drama, and music); with particular attention paid to processes documented as contributing to change in each modality; and mechanisms considered to result from these processes. Our analysis of 75 articles (17 art, 13 dance, 4 drama, and 41 music) indicates mostly significant quantitative or positive qualitative findings, particularly for interventions led by creative arts therapists. Mechanisms of change gleaned from the studies that were common across modalities include physical (e.g., increased muscle strength; neurochemical effects, such as endorphin release), intra-personal (e.g., enhanced self-concept, strengthened agency and mastery; processing and communication of emotions), cultural (e.g., creative expression, aesthetic pleasure), cognitive (e.g., stimulation of memory), and social (e.g., increased social skills and connection), that were all considered to contribute to reduced depression and symptoms. Recommendations for future research includes stronger focus on testing of processes and mechanisms.
AB - Depression experienced by older adults is proving an increasing global health burden, with rates generally 7% and as high as 27% in the USA. This is likely to significantly increase in coming years as the number and proportion of older adults in the population rises all around the world. Therefore, it is imperative that the effectiveness of approaches to the prevention and treatment of depression are understood. Creative arts interventions, including art, dance movement, drama, and music modalities, are utilized internationally to target depression and depressive symptoms in older adults. This includes interventions led by trained arts therapists as well as other health and arts professionals. However, to date there has not been a systematic review that reports effects and examines the processes (why) and mechanisms (how) of creative arts interventions are used to address depression in this older age group. This systematic review of studies on creative arts interventions for older adults experiencing depression examined: outcomes of four creative arts modalities (art, dance movement, drama, and music); with particular attention paid to processes documented as contributing to change in each modality; and mechanisms considered to result from these processes. Our analysis of 75 articles (17 art, 13 dance, 4 drama, and 41 music) indicates mostly significant quantitative or positive qualitative findings, particularly for interventions led by creative arts therapists. Mechanisms of change gleaned from the studies that were common across modalities include physical (e.g., increased muscle strength; neurochemical effects, such as endorphin release), intra-personal (e.g., enhanced self-concept, strengthened agency and mastery; processing and communication of emotions), cultural (e.g., creative expression, aesthetic pleasure), cognitive (e.g., stimulation of memory), and social (e.g., increased social skills and connection), that were all considered to contribute to reduced depression and symptoms. Recommendations for future research includes stronger focus on testing of processes and mechanisms.
KW - Arts therapy
KW - Creative arts therapy
KW - Dance movement therapy
KW - Depression
KW - Drama therapy
KW - Older adults
KW - Outcomes
KW - Processes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059654251&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85059654251&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02655
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02655
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059654251
SN - 1664-1078
VL - 9
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
JF - Frontiers in Psychology
IS - JAN
M1 - 2655
ER -