Art Therapy Could Help With Pediatric Asthma

Pediatric asthma can negatively impact the quality of life not only for the child sufferer but also for his family. It can cause anxiety in the child that is resultant from that asthma, which causes frightening breathing difficulties as the airways constrict during an attack.

This fear and the feeling of anxiousness brought on by the attack can linger quite long even after the attack subsides. And if that anxiety can be reduced or managed better it can help improve quality of life and psychological development.

art therapyIn a new study it was found that Art Therapy can help to reduce the anxiety associated with childhood asthma.

It was a randomized clinical trial that found that children benefited from as few as seven sessions of art therapy conducted weekly.

In these sessions children were encouraged to express their feelings about their illness or trauma as well as their medical concerns through their art.

This visual expression can then lead to a discussion about issues and feelings.

Researchers expressed the view that “creating art helps participants establish distance between themselves and their medical concerns.” The art therapy sessions were seen as being very beneficial for the children; even those with severe and chronic asthma. And this positive impact continued even after cessation of the treatment.