Do Creative Arts Therapies Reduce Substance Misuse? A Systematic Review

Publication date: Available online 13 October 2017 Source:The Arts in Psychotherapy Author(s): Karen Megranahan, Michael Thomas Lynskey The complexities of substance misuse treatment indicate a need to consider the efficacy of creative arts therapies for those who find it difficult to verbalise their emotions and feelings. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and critically evaluate studies on the effectiveness of creative arts therapy interventions for reducing substance misuse, aiming at reaching some conclusions on the subject. Research studies employing randomised control trials (RCT’s) and controlled clinical trials were identified across eight academic databases. A total of 3204 records were found out of which 381 were duplicates and a further 2818 were excluded as not meeting the inclusion criteria. Five RCT’s met the inclusion criteria and related to music. The effect size (Cohen’s d) of reported outcomes showed a strong positive effect for music therapy to enhance contemplation (0.9), treatment readiness (0.76), motivation (0.54) and lower craving (−0.54). The results of this review should be interpreted with caution, because of the small number of studies found and the difference in the treatments employed. Music therapy maybe worth integrating into treatment plans for substance misuse, although further research is required to substantiate its long-term effectiveness.
Source: Arts in Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research