A brief bedside visual art intervention decreases anxiety and improves pain and mood in patients with haematologic malignancies

摘要

Treatment of cancer‐related symptoms represents a major challenge for physicians. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether a brief bedside visual art intervention (BVAI) facilitated by art educators improves mood, reduces pain and anxiety in patients with haematological malignancies. Thirty‐one patients (21 women and 10 men) were invited to participate in a BVAI where the goal of the session was to teach art technique for ~30?min. Primary outcome measures included the change in visual analog scale, the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule scale, from baseline prior to and immediately post‐BVAI. Total of 21 patients (19 women and two men) participated. A significant improvement in positive mood and pain scores ( p? = ? .003 and p ?=?.017 respectively) as well as a decrease in negative mood and anxiety ( p ?=?.016 and p ?=?.001 respectively) was observed. Patients perceived BVAI as overall positive (95%) and wished to participate in future art‐based interventions (85%). This accessible experience, provided by artists within the community, may be considered as an adjunct to conventional treatments in patients with cancer‐related mood symptoms and pain, and future studies with balanced gender participation may support the generalisability of these findings.