Impact of a Single Art Therapy Session on Mood and Symptom Burden in Palliative Care
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Single Art Therapy Session.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Emotional Distress, Pain, Anxiety. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Evaluating the Impact of a Single Art Therapy Session on Mood and Symptom Burden in Palliative Care Patients
Overview
The goal of this observational study is to explore whether a single art therapy session can improve mood and reduce symptom burden in adult palliative care patients at a Canadian inpatient unit. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does a single art therapy session reduce overall symptom burden, as measured by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)? * Does a single art therapy session improve mood, as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)? Participants will: * Complete two short questionnaires (ESAS and PANAS) before and after the session * Participate in a 30-60 minute individual art therapy session
Detailed description
This is a single-centre, prospective, observational pre-post study conducted at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, VG, 7A Palliative Care Unit. The aim is to evaluate whether a one-time, individualized art therapy session can positively impact emotional well-being and symptom distress in adults receiving inpatient palliative care.
Participants will be approached by the charge nurse and invited to participate if they meet the eligibility criteria. Following informed consent, participants will complete two validated self-report tools: the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). These assessments will be administered immediately before and again immediately after a 30-60 minute art therapy session, which will include open-ended creative engagement using simple materials such as watercolor and pastels.
The Study Objectives are:
1. To determine whether participation in a structured art therapy session improves mood and symptom burden in palliative care patients 2. Examine whether engagement in coloring activities influences emotional well-being as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and symptom burden as measured by the Modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). 3. Is there a difference in as-needed (PRN) opioid, benzodiazepine, and Z drug use in the 48 hours before and after the session 4. Examine whether specific patient characteristics, such as primary diagnosis or time from admission to intervention, impact the observed effects.
All data will be de-identified and analyzed descriptively and inferentially to assess trends in mood and symptom change following the intervention. This study does not involve randomization or a control group. It is designed to inform future research and program development in supportive care interventions within palliative settings.
Interventions
- Behavioral Single Art Therapy Session
Each participant will engage in a 30-60 minute structured art therapy session using pre-drawn coloring sheets featuring themes such as mandalas, nature scenes, and inspirational designs. A variety of coloring tools will be provided, including crayons, colored pencils, markers, gel pens, and watercolor paints. Sessions will be facilitated by the primary investigator, who will provide non-directive prompts and engage in casual conversation to foster comfort and engagement.
Primary outcome measures
- Change in Positive and Negative Affect Scores Measured by PANAS Before and After Art Therapy [Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the art therapy session]
- Change in Symptom Burden Measured by Modified ESAS Before and After Art Therapy [Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the art therapy session]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Changes in PRN Opioid Use in the 48 Hours Before and After Art Therapy [Time frame: 48 hours before and 48 hours after the art therapy session]
- Changes in PRN Benzodiazepine and Z-Drug Use in the 48 Hours Before and After Art Therapy [Time frame: 48 hours before and 48 hours after the art therapy session]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- inclusion if they are adults (=18 years old)
- admitted to the PCU
- have the ability to communicate
- complete self-assessments with or without facilitator assistance
- possess the ability to engage in a 30-60 minute art therapy session
Exclusion criteria
- Patients will be excluded if they are under 18 years of age
- within 48hrs of admission or discharge
- experiencing severe cognitive impairment, uncontrolled symptoms, or delirium.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- Nova Scotia Health — Halifax
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06924268 · 2025060172580