The DOI matches its Crossref record; 34 of the 35 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Arts Therapies for Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Open accessAbstract
Background. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. However, only a few trials assess the effects of arts therapies. Material and Methods. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and Google Scholar from their start date to January 2012. We handsearched reference lists and contacted experts. All randomized controlled trials, quasi‐randomized trials, and controlled clinical trials of art interventions in breast cancer patients were included. Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed. Meta‐analyses were performed using standardized mean differences. Results. Thirteen trials with a total of 606 patients were included. Arts therapies comprised music therapy interventions, various types of art therapy, and dance/movement therapies. The methodological quality ranged from poor to high quality with the majority scoring 3 of 4 points on the Jadad scale. Results suggest that arts therapies seem to positively affect patients’ anxiety (standardized mean difference: −1.10; 95%, confidence interval: −1.40 to −0.80) but not depression or quality of life. No conclusion could be drawn regarding the effects of arts therapy on pain, functional assessment, coping, and mood states. Discussion. Our review indicates that arts interventions may have beneficial effects on anxiety in patients with breast cancer.
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“The existing literature examining the effectiveness of art therapy has shown some positive results across a wide variety of treatment indications, such as the treatment of depression [3, 18], anxiety [19, 20], psychosis [21], the enhancement of mental wellbeing [22], and the complementary treatment of cancer [15, 23].”
From The effect of active visual art therapy on health outcomes: protocol of a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (2022) · cites this paper as [23]
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MethodMusic interventions for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients
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1 of the 35 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 5
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“However, from the new-media arts’ perspective and without denying the significant value of the art therapy, artistic practices here remain somewhat limited only to overcome the psychological reflections of cancer on the patients’ mental and emotional health [2].”
BackgroundArt Therapy in Oncology and Palliative Care – Overview of Empirical Results And A Case Vignette
Gruber, H. (2018) · Reabilitacijos mokslai slauga kineziterapija ergoterapija · doi:10.33607/rmske.v2i19.756 · Cited by 1
“Currently, this is confirmed in a systematic review with meta-analysis (Boehm et al., 2014) for all artistic therapies, but only for the significant reduction of anxiety.”
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(2018) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-3-437-23796-6.00026-7
Art Therapy in Oncology and Palliative Care – Overview of Empirical Results And A Case Vignette
Gruber, H. (2018) · Reabilitacijos mokslai slauga kineziterapija ergoterapija · doi:10.33607/rmske.v2i19.106
Human responses to nature and culture-based non-clinical interventions: A systematised reviewPreprint
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Quality of Life and Patient Reported Outcomes in Breast Cancer
Borsky, K. L., & Tsang-Wright, F. J. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-27597-5_11
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Innovation in Inclusive Museums Education and Training Through an Online Pilot Course
Rodrigo, C., Iniesto, F., Arnardóttir, H., Paniagua, Á. S.-E., García-Serrano, A. M., & Hafsteinsson, S. B. (2024) · International Symposium on Computers in Education · doi:10.1109/siie63180.2024.10604598
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“…to improve HRQoL in patients with breast cancer, including mindfulness-based intervention [15, 16], cognitive behavior therapy [17], acceptance and commitment therapy [18], psycho-education intervention [19, 20], art therapy (e.g., music, dance, writing) [21–24], and spiritual therapy [25].”
Efecto de una intervención de musicoterapia en el estado de ánimo del enfermo crítico
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A new dimension in hemodialysis: integrating art into clinical outcomes
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Art therapy for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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“An older systematic review by Boehm and colleagues focused, among other things, on depressive symptoms in cancer patients (49).”
Sun, T., Zhao, R., Shan, X., Zhu, Y., Zhang, Y., & Zheng, Y. (2026) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103411
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Metadata
- Authors
- Boehm, K., Cramer, H., Staroszynski, T., & Ostermann, T.
- Affiliations
- Witten/Herdecke University (DE)
- Kliniken Essen-Mitte (DE)
- Hochschule für Kunsttherapie Nürtingen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Boehm, Katja
- Venue
- Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-01
- Volume
- 2014
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 103297-103297
- ISSN
- 1741-427X (ISSN-L)
- 1741-4288
- PMC
- PMC3955604
- OpenAlex
- W2031688572
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 22.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Art Therapy and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
- Keywords
- art therapy, breast cancer, anxiety, depression, quality of life, music therapy, dance therapy, cancer patients, psychological intervention
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