An adjunctive, museum-based art therapy experience in the treatment of women with severe eating disorders

Previous research suggests that creative art therapies can produce short-term improvements in self-concept, mood and perceived well-being in various patient populations. Evaluation of such improvements for eating disorder patients has received little attention to date. The present report describes an Art Therapy program, consisting of a visit to Montreal Museum of Fine Arts followed by an art-therapy workshop that was provided to several groups of adult patients from the Douglas Institute's Eating Disorders Program. We evaluated the suitability the AT program for patients being treated for eating disorders (in terms of patient satisfaction and tolerability) in a sample of 78 patients. Results indicated that patients enjoyed the program, and found it interesting and enriching. They also reported that the program provided a means for self-expression and creativity. We also assessed the short-term impact of art therapy on self-reported mood using the Profile of Mood States (POMS-BI (Lorr, McNair, & Fisher, 1982)), eating disorder preoccupations and urges using a Visual Analog Scale, as well as body image concerns using the Body Satisfaction Scale (Slade, Dewey, Newton, Brodie, & Kiemle, 1990). At the end of the program, patients were significantly more composed and slightly more tired. The findings from the current study provide data on the suitability of art therapy programs as adjuncts to standard treatments for adults with eating disorders and show no significant short-term impact, either positive or negative, on body image or eating preoccupations/urges.