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Range of Changes in Salivary Cortisol Levels Across Participants as a Result of Art Making
Source publication
This quasi-experimental study investigated the impact of visual art making on the cortisol levels of 39 healthy adults. Participants provided saliva samples to assess cortisol levels before and after 45 minutes of art making. Participants also provided written responses about the experience at the end of the session. Results indicate that art makin...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... levels stayed unchanged or were ele- vated for about 25%. Figure 3 highlights this range in change of cortisol levels with an area graph showing changes across all participants. ...
Context 2
... can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, there was consider- able variation across participants even though the overall results indicated a statistically significant reduction in corti- sol. We further sought to examine whether these differences between participants might be related to other variables like age, gender, race/ethnicity, time of day, prior experience with art-making, or type of art media used. ...
Citations
... Some commented that art therapy helped free themselves from inhibitions. 46 In a study of healthy adults, Meutia,47 found that mandala coloring reduced stress levels. A number of other studies in various populations like workers and students have found that mandala coloring is a promising holistic approach to reduce stress. ...
Background
Hemodialysis is an important health problem that negatively affects psychosocial status and support systems. Through practices such as mandala coloring, individuals transfer the unknowns they experience to the outside and make them visible. This study was conducted to examine the effects of mandala coloring on fatigue, psychological well‐being, and factors associate with coping with stress in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment.
Methods
The design was a prospective, parallel‐group controlled trial. The study was conducted in the dialysis unit of a university hospital in eastern Turkey between April 4 and October 31, 2022, with a total of 60 patients, 30 in the intervention group, and 30 in the control group. The patients in the intervention group colored mandala once a week for 2 h, for a total of 8 weeks. The data were collected face‐to‐face using a patient information form, a Fatigue Severity Scale, a Psychological Well‐Being Scale, and a Ways of Coping Questionnaire.
Results
There were improvements in fatigue severity and psychological well‐being over the 8‐week study period in both the intervention and control groups. Scores were similar at baseline in the control and intervention groups, but better in the intervention groups compared to controls at 4 and 8 weeks for both metrics (p < 0001). Five factors from the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (self‐confident approach, optimistic approach, seeking social support, helpless approach, and submissive approach) each improved during the 8‐week period in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Three of these five factors improved in the control group as well. Scores for each of the five coping factors were better in the intervention group compared to controls at 4 and 8 weeks (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Mandala coloring improved fatigue and psychological well‐being and was associated with improved patient coping strategies.
... It involves perceiving and appreciating the qualities, forms, or expressions of objects, ideas, or experiences that evoke a sense of pleasure. Second, the mechanism of art's health benefits may be examined by studying measures of stress in humans including salivary cortisol levels, skin conductance or heart rate (7). On this Research Topic, we reported the effects of a museum-based art activity on heart rate used as a proxy measure of autonomic nervous system functioning that regulates our fightor-flight and rest-and-digest responses. ...
... Creative arts and psychomotor therapies actively seek to tap into these sensations, emotions, and other physiological signals, which are both informative and regulatory. By doing so, they have been found to reduce stress and cortisol levels (Solé et al., 2014;Kaimal et al., 2016). They enhance clients' body awareness-which plays an important role in emotional experience and self-awareness (Damasio, 2010)-and sense of agency through movement, expression, and sensory experiences. ...
Polyvagal theory advocates for working with the body, becoming aware of the body and connecting with the senses. Similarly, paying attention to and influencing one’s physical and sensory experience is a core aspect of the creative arts and psychomotor therapies. Polyvagal theory offers opportunities for strengthening resilience by treating emotion-regulation problems, stress, and trauma, as well as restoring regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Paying attention to and influencing physical and sensory experiences are core aspects of creative arts and psychomotor therapies. This theoretical paper explores how polyvagal theory can serve as a foundational theory and support the creative arts and psychomotor therapies for emotion regulation in stress and trauma. A number of pillars in polyvagal theory have links with arts therapies, such as an emphasis on physical and sensory experience in situations of safety or threat. This theory may offer insight into the role of the body in stressful situations, the role of co-and self-regulation, and thus the functioning of and the rationale for use of creative arts and psychomotor therapies. Through interventions focused on promoting healthy autonomic responses and regulating physiological responses, clients can learn to better regulate and process their emotional experiences. Although this could be broadly useful, it would seem particularly promising in therapies focused on stress and trauma. This article provides an introduction to polyvagal theory and outlines how it can serve as an explanatory, hypothetical model for the working mechanisms that underlie creative arts and psychomotor therapies. The application of PVT in creative arts and psychomotor therapies will be explored by describing techniques for “noticing and naming” and “learning to change,” as well as by highlighting the role of PVT in the therapeutic relationship. It provides case examples and discusses the role of creative arts and psychomotor therapies for stress regulation and resilience conceptualized in line with the polyvagal theory.
... Cortisol a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, plays an important role in the stress response. Creating art can reduce cortisol levels in both those who identify as artists and those who do not (Kaimal et al., 2016). ...
Artistic expressions provide visual stimulation and information, promote cultural awareness, and evoke thoughts and feelings. A very interesting component of artistic expression is the ability of the art form to produce a state of well-being in both the artist and the observer. This article (1) investigates the connection of my art to a specific purpose and fulfillment, (2) explains how artistic expressions can promote well-being through neurostimulation, (3) provides an example of how artistic expressions can assist in productivity, (4) expounds on the ability of artistic expressions to elicit cultural awareness, and (5) presents reflections on my paintings and their possible influence on an observer. The article reenforces the concept that artistic expressions extend beyond surface observation and stimulation and can penetrate the inner being and spirit of the artist and the observer, thereby affecting thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and well-being. Artistic expressions are forms of communication that can connect individuals across geographical boundaries, cultures, and time.
... Whether through the vibrant colors of a painting, the rhythmic movements of dance, or the evocative lyrics of a song, art offers a safe and cathartic outlet for individuals to navigate and make sense of their innermost feelings. Kaimal, Ray & Muniz (2016) suggested that engaging in artmaking activities can lead to reductions in stress and anxiety levels, as well as improvements in mood and emotional regulation, highlighting the therapeutic potential of artistic expression in promoting mental well-being. ...
... The researchers recommended the integration of arts-based interventions into clinical practice, educational settings, and community programs to promote mental well-being and enhance overall quality of life. Kaimal, Ray & Muniz (2016) investigated the physiological and psychological effects of art-making activities on stress reduction and emotional well-being. The researchers conducted an experimental study involving participants engaging in a variety of art-making activities, such as painting, drawing, and collage. ...
... This process of self-expression not only promotes emotional catharsis but also facilitates personal growth and psychological healing. As demonstrated by Kaimal et al. (2016), engagement in art-making activities can lead to reductions in stress levels and improvements in mood, highlighting the therapeutic potential of artistic expression in promoting mental well-being. ...
Purpose: This study sought to investigate the relationship between artistic expression and mental well-being. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to artistic expression and mental well-being. Preliminary empirical review revealed that engaging in creative activities offers therapeutic benefits such as emotional expression, self-discovery, and social connection. Through various forms of art, individuals were able to reduce stress, improve mood, and foster a sense of belonging within their communities. Moreover, artistic expression served as a catalyst for personal transformation and empowerment, enabling individuals to overcome challenges and find meaning in their experiences. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating arts-based interventions into mental health care to promote holistic well-being. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Art as Therapy theory, Flow theory and Socio-Emotional Selectivity theory may be used to anchor future studies. The studies exploring the relationship between artistic expression and mental well-being offered valuable recommendations that contributed to theoretical advancements, informed practical applications, and guided policy development. By elucidating the therapeutic mechanisms of artistic expression, practitioners integrated arts-based interventions into clinical practice, educators incorporated arts into school curricula, and policymakers advocated for increased funding and support for arts initiatives in healthcare and community settings. These efforts aimed to foster creativity, resilience, and social connection, ultimately enhancing mental well-being across diverse populations.
... • 5 MRI studies (Walker et al., 2016Cucca et al., 2018Cucca et al., , 2021Yu et al., 2021) • 3 fNIRS studies (Kaimal and Ray, 2017;Yan et al., 2021;Kaimal et al., 2022) • 4 EEG studies (Belkofer and Konopka, 2008;Belkofer et al., 2014;Kruk et al., 2014;King et al., 2017) • 2 HRV studies (Haiblum-Itskovitch et al., 2018;Abbing et al., 2019) • 5 Other biomarker studies (Visnola et al., 2010;Kaimal et al., 2016Kaimal et al., , 2019Beerse et al., 2019Beerse et al., , 2020. ...
... The intervention group showed higher HF-HRV after treatment, consistent with lower anxiety. Art therapy and artmaking may reduce cortisol levels (Visnola et al., 2010;Kaimal et al., 2016;Beerse et al., 2019Beerse et al., , 2020) that may improve other psychosocial outcomes of mood, self-efficacy, and perceived stress (Kaimal and Ray, 2017;Beerse et al., 2019). Other preliminary studies have explored blood pressure as a biomarker to examine artmaking as an effective stress reducer (Schrade et al., 2011;Utami et al., 2021). ...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a heterogeneous condition that affects many civilians and military service members. Lack of engagement, high dropout rate, and variable response to psychotherapy necessitates more compelling and accessible treatment options that are based on sound neuroscientific evidence-informed decision-making. Art therapy incorporates elements proven to be effective in psychotherapy, such as exposure, making it a potentially valuable treatment option. This conceptual paper aims to inform the neurophysiological rationale for the use of art therapy as a therapeutic approach for individuals with PTSD. A narrative synthesis was conducted using literature review of empirical research on the neurophysiological effects of art therapy, with supporting literature on neuroaesthetics and psychotherapies to identify art therapy factors most pertinent for PTSD. Findings were synthesized through a proposed framework based on the triple network model considering the network-based dysfunctions due to PTSD. Art therapy’s active components, such as concretization and metaphor, active art engagement, emotion processing and regulation, perspective taking and reframing, and therapeutic alliance, may improve symptoms of PTSD and prompt adaptive brain functioning. Given the scarcity of rigorous studies on art therapy’s effectiveness and mechanisms of alleviating PTSD symptoms, the suggested framework offers a neurophysiological rationale and a future research agenda to investigate the impact of art therapy as a therapeutic approach for individuals with PTSD.
... Örneğin, sadece Almanya'da strese bağlı işte devamsızlık 20 milyar euroya mal olmuştur (Martin, Oepen, Bauer, Nottensteiner, Mergheim, Gruber & Koch, 2018). Araştırmalar ise, sanatsal faaliyetlerin kortizol düzeyinde olumlu değişimler ile stresi azalttığını göstermektedir (Kaimal, Ray & Muniz, 2016). Sanatın bu yönü, olaylara karşı verilen tepkilerde tutarlılık oluşturabilir. ...
Sanat, çağlar boyunca insanların duygularını ve düşüncelerini ifade etmek için güçlü bir araç olmuştur. Sanatın alegorik, devrimci, sembolik ve toplumcu mesajlar taşıyan eserleri, insanları harekete geçirmede ilham kaynağı olmuştur. Bu nedenle, sanat sadece bir estetik deneyimden öte, toplumsal değişimi şekillendiren etkili bir araç olarak görülmüştür. Günümüzde ise sanayileşmenin ve teknolojik ilerlemelerin, toplumların duygusal bağlarını zayıflattığı düşünülmektedir. Ancak, sanatın toplumsal rolü hala önemini korumaktadır ve toplumların duygusal bağlarını güçlendirebilme potansiyeline sahiptir. Küresel şiddet ve kriz durumları bu potansiyeli daha değerli kılmaktadır. Bu araştırmada da, kolektif farkındalığın geliştirilmesinde sanatın rolünü; birey, toplum ve yaşam ile ilişkili olarak ele almak amaçlanmıştır. Nitel araştırma desenlerinden durum deseni etrafında veriler araştırma ile ilişkisi bakımından gözden geçirilerek doküman analizi ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları; sanatın, etkileşim içerisinde olduğu alanların boyutları ile birey, toplum ve yaşam ilişkisi temelinde kolektif farkındalık oluşturmada olumlu etkilerinin olabileceğini göstermektedir. Sanat bu yönü ile sosyal problemlerin çözümü adına teşvik edici olabilir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: kolektif farkındalık, birey, toplum, sanat.
... Having established that emotions might be influenced by our brain functionality, next is discussed the relationship between levels of hormones and the humans' emotions [18,19] and whether humans' dietary and lifestyle could be held responsible for this relationship. Hormones can be classified into three categories based on their chemical structure: Cortisol, a steroid hormone, one of the glucocorticoids, produced in the adrenal cortex and then released into the bloodstream, which carries it throughout the body, has been found to influences humans' mood and behavior [20]. The high concentration of cortisol may lead to high blood pressure, osteoporosis, depression, mood fluctuation, anxiety, weight gain, muscle weakness, and increase thirst as well as urination frequency [21][22][23][24]. ...
Decision-making process (DMP), our everyday most frequent action, has attracted the attention of a wide range of disciplines aiming to identify and analyze its determinants, encompassing specific steps. This paper intends to investigate whether nutrition and habits of managers/employees–via hormone levels–might statistically influence DMP in the business field. Some groups of food could encourage the secretion of specific hormones, which in turn influence the brain’s function that may in turn affect humans’ behavior and emotional status, and hence, their decision. To explore the set hypothesis, fieldwork was undertaken to an extensive random sample, from Greek companies/organizations, using appropriately designed questionnaire to select and statistically analyze related quantitative and qualitative information. The questionnaire was distributed to the employees/managers (n=242) of Greek companies. The findings confirm this hypothesis (statistical significance, p<0.05) and indicate that DMP is influenced by nutrition and habits in interaction with body mass index.
... Few studies explored this avenue but showed a positive association between proxy measures for the experience of stress in humans and visual art (5). For instance, art making resulted in significant lowering of cortisol levels salivary (10). Thus, examining health benefits of art requires to employ objective measures. ...
Background
Health benefits have been reported with art activities. Heart rate is a biomarker of health state. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to compare the changes in heart rate over a 3 month-period in older adults participating in art-based activities at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA, Quebec, Canada) and in their control counterparts.
Methods/design
Participants (mean age 71.0 ± 5.1; 84.9% female) were a subset of older community dwellers recruited in a RCT in two parallel groups (n = 28 in the intervention group and n = 25 in the control group) who had their heart rate recorded. They attended weekly participatory MMFA-based art activities over a 3-month period. Heart rate was collected via the smart watch Fitbit Alta HR at baseline (M0) and at 3 months (M3). The outcomes were mean heart rate per hour for the full day, including active and inactive hours.
Results
Heart rate for full day (p = 0.018) and active hours (p = 0.028) were slower in the intervention group compared to the control group. Decrease in mean heart rate for full day between M0 and M3 in the intervention group was higher than in the control group (p = 0.030). The linear regression showed that MMFA-based art activities decreased full day heart rate (Coefficient of regression Beta = −6.2 with p = 0.010).
Conclusion
MMFA-based art activities significantly decreased full day heart rate, suggesting a health benefit in older community dwellers who participated in the RCT.
Clinical trial registration: NCT03679715.
... In conclusion, [13] affirmed with this author that doodling can support relaxation in being an emancipatory tool for confronting internal struggles. As noted in [13], this also corresponds with earlier findings by Andrade [24], Belkofer et al. [25], Bolwek et al. [26], Kimal et al. [27], and Siagto-Wakat [28]. A detailed and extensive study, [13] represents a significant contribution to the literature on doodling and does so in part based on the evaluation of the two articles by this author that are cited [1,2]. ...
The ability of doodling to act as an indicator of depression and anxiety regarding research burnout is a topic that has seen the publication of six articles by this author since 2021. This commentary aims to determine the extent to which any of these articles have been cited by subsequent researchers in furthering the literature on doodling. The keywords “C Nash Doodling Burnout” were searched through Google Scholar in February 2024 with 142 returns. Only four of these reports included all keywords. Of these returned studies, two were found to add to the literature on doodling substantially, in part as a result of the citations to the work of this author. However, one of these two publications did so while also including a misrepresentation of this author’s work. With few studies on doodling behavior, noting these publications and their limitations represents an important contribution. This work also adds to the paucity of publications by authors examining citations to their work.
