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Background: Dramatherapy, a creative form of psychotherapy, may be a useful treatment for child and adolescent mental health. As there is a growing evidence base, this systematic review sought to identify, describe and evaluate dramatherapy with children and adolescents who were experiencing emotional distress (anxiety, depression and trauma) in order to inform future research in this area. Methods: Seven databases (PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE and Cochrane) were searched for peer‐reviewed articles exploring dramatherapy as a treatment for child and adolescent emotional distress. Hand searches of relevant journals were also conducted. Two reviewers coded articles for eligibility and independently appraised papers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Details relating to intervention and participant characteristics were extracted and, where data were available, effect sizes on measures relating to emotional distress were calculated. Results: Fifteen papers were included. Studies showed that dramatherapy was often delivered in schools (46%) and clinical settings (20%) and was more frequently delivered to adolescents (53%) (>11 years) than children (26%) (8–11 years). Dramatherapy was used as a treatment for diagnostically heterogeneous groups (40%), for emotional and behavioural difficulties (33%) and following a shared, traumatic, experience (20%). Seven papers reported relevant quantitative data however, just three of these studies were controlled and none were blinded. Pre‐to‐post intervention effect sizes ranged from d = 0.17 to d > 2 yet samples were small and participant response to treatment was not always consistent. The largest effects were seen in dramatherapy employed following trauma and in clinical settings. Medium to large effects were also seen in early intervention school‐based dramatherapy. Conclusion: Despite promising results with regards to the treatment of child and adolescent emotional distress, the evidence base for dramatherapy is small and methodologically flawed. Larger, methodologically robust trials should test the efficacy of dramatherapy in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little research on the transformational processes of creative arts therapies (CATs) students during training compared to other healthcare professions. CATs training relies on arts‐based experiential learning that can develop the therapist's creative self‐beliefs, psychological mindedness, and perspective‐taking. This single group pre–post study examined the changes in these unstudied, yet essential, creative and personal factors in a sample of 191 CATs students in the first year of their master's degree program in Israel. It was hypothesized that students would report a statistically significant increase in creative and personal measures from the beginning to the end of their first year of training, but this hypothesis was only partially supported. There were different development trajectories in each CATs discipline in terms of creative identity, creative self‐efficacy, psychological mindedness, and perspective‐taking. The discussion sheds light on these results by considering the domain‐specific differences between the CATs disciplines and their respective training approaches, and through follow‐up interview data collected from trainers in each CATs track. This study thus contributes to a better understanding of the trajectories of change of these attributes in CATs students. Training programs should consider these results when building curricula, to nurture the balance between students' artistic and helping competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: There are different forms of arts therapy including music, dance and drama therapies.Music, dance and drama can help people with an intellectual disability to improve their wellbeing.To encourage the inclusion of music, dance and drama therapies in different services, it is important to look at their effects on people with an intellectual disability.Music, dance and drama help with self‐esteem, social skills, expression and management of emotions.Arts therapies could also increase social inclusion and self‐determination. Background: Arts therapies take different forms, including music, dance and drama therapies. Access to meaningful activities is limited for people with an intellectual disability. Music, dance and drama therapies could be relevant strategies to improve well‐being of people with an intellectual disability. To encourage the inclusion of these modalities in services offered to this population, it is important to look at the effects of music, dance and drama therapies for people with an intellectual disability. Methods: This scoping review aimed to document the effects of music, dance and drama therapies for people with an intellectual disability. Findings: 72 documents were selected and analysed. Depending on the modality of art therapy, various physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual benefits were noted. Most of studies presented a limited sample size and had no group control. Conclusion: The use of arts therapy modalities music, dance and drama shows promise for people with an intellectual disability. The results of this study may contribute to the development of diversified and meaningful activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]