A study on the perception of art therapy among mental health professionals in Korea

This study aimed to investigate how mental health professionals in Korea perceive art therapy and in what way they can improve it. The study's participants were 152 mental health professionals at 58 institutions in Seoul and the Gyeon-gi area.The results showed that different health professions had different perceptions of art therapy. Most professions were aware of art therapy and reported its effectiveness; however, psychiatrists relatively underappreciated its helpfulness and effectiveness, as well as the qualifications of art therapists. In terms of how to improve art therapy, respondents, as a whole, ranked securing qualified art therapists the highest, followed by securing more scientific data, developing more art therapy programs, engaging in team approaches, and promoting art therapy. These research results suggest that, with regard to art therapy, the establishment of systematic certification, development of a training curriculum, and future studies can extend the recognition of art therapy. This will improve art therapists’ abilities to perform their professional role and further develop art therapy.

Research highlights▶ Perception of art therapy among professionals. ▶ The professionals’ experiences with using art therapy. ▶ Perceptions of who should conduct art therapy. ▶ Perceptions on the time for using art therapy. ▶ Perceptions of art therapy's effectiveness. ▶ Perceptions regarding art therapists’ qualifications. ▶ Perceptions on the improvement of art therapy.