The Effect of Creative Arts Therapy For Veterans: A Comparison Between In-Person and Hybrid-Based Therapy.

To estimate the effect of creative arts therapy on mood symptomatology and quality of life and investigate whether the effect of creative arts therapy is different between in-clinic only and hybrid-based therapy (a combination of in-clinic and telehealth). Observational study. A VA medical center. A convenience sample of 110 Veterans who received creative arts therapy between 2015 to 2019 was used in this study. All participants were 18 years old or older and had at least one chronic condition, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Participants received weekly creative arts therapy. During the sessions, participants expressed personal feelings and emotions through art or music. Each session was delivered through a traditional face-to-face format or telehealth, depending on the patient's needs and preferences. Participants completed self-reporting mood symptomatology and quality of life measures at the first visit and at the end of the intervention. All evaluations were conducted in the clinic. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule–Extended Form (PANAS-X) measures mood-related symptomatology. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Survey- Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) measures the quality of life. Participants had an average of five chronic conditions. PTSD and depression were the most frequently reported conditions. Participants received, on average, eight sessions. In total, 53.6% of participants (n=59) received creative arts therapy via in-clinic only, while 46.4% (n=51) received hybrid-based creative arts therapy. There was no significant difference between in-clinic and hybrid-based creative arts therapy groups. Participants reported decreased general negative affect (p =.029) and increased general positive affect (p =.038). Creative arts therapy improved quality of life in physical health (p =.022), as well as in psychological health (p <.001). There was no significant difference in the effect of creative arts therapy between in-clinic only and hybrid-based groups. Creative arts therapy improved perceived physical and psychological health for Veterans. The hybrid-based creative arts therapy can serve as an effective substitute for in-clinic therapy, which would improve Veterans' access to care for creative arts therapy. Future studies are recommended to examine the hybrid-based approach for other rehabilitation therapy interventions. Authors report no financial relationships or financial conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]