Research Project Abstracts

Mindfulness Based Art Therapy for Cancer Patients

Grant Period: 2001-2003

The purpose of this study was to gather data on the effectiveness of a newly developed psychosocial group intervention for cancer patients, called mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT). Women with a variety of cancer diagnoses were paired by age and randomized to either an eight-week MBAT intervention group or a wait-list control group. When measured using the Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey, and compared to the control group, the MBAT group demonstrated a significant decrease in symptoms of distress and significant improvements in key aspects of health-related quality of life. These initial data are encouraging, and support a possible future role for the intervention as a psychosocial treatment option for cancer patients.

Publication:
Monti DA, Peterson C, Kunkel EJ, Hauck WW, Pequignot E, Rhodes L, Brainard GC. A randomized, controlled trial of mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) for women with cancer. Psychooncology 15(5):363-373, May 2006. Link to the publisher's site: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112137081/