The Effect of Art Therapy on Physical and Psychological Symptoms of Breast Cancer Survivors

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Art Therapy is a health profession in which art making is utilized as a means of expression and communication within a therapeutic and supportive relationship [1]. Art therapy has been shown to reduce psychological (anxiety, negative mood) and physical (pain, fatigue) symptoms which accompany many breast cancer patients and survivors [2-7]. Qualitative studies provide an initial understanding of the mechanisms through which art therapy facilitates symptom reduction [8]. Breast cancer patients have reported that art therapy provided them with access to emotional material otherwise inaccessible [9]. The goal of this study is to examine the effect of art making within a therapeutic framework on emotional awareness and acceptance.

Official Title
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The Effect of Group Art Therapy on Physical and Psychological Symptoms of Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Hormonal Therapy

Conditions
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Breast Cancer

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Group art therapy
* Behavioral: Control


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Adult women (over age 18), breast cancer survivors without evidence of active illness, hebrew speaking and receiving preventative hormonal therapy for at least 6 months (steady state), receiving care at the survivor's clinic of Davidoff Medical Center Exclusion Criteria: A psychiatric diagnosis requiring medication, functional difficulties that affect the ability to handle art supplies, non-hebrew speaking, unwilling to answer the research questionnaires

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Research<br>Group Art Therapy | Behavioral: Group art therapy<br>* Participants will engage in an art therapy group tailored at emotion expression related to the experience of breast cancer survivorship.<br>|
| Sham Comparator: Control<br>Participants will receive Psychoeducational material in the form of a lecture and will engage in the coloring of mandalas. | Behavioral: Control<br>* Participants will receive Psychoeducational material in the form of a lecture and will engage in the coloring of mandalas.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quality of Life: The FACT-B (Hahn et al, 2015) | 36 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS; Lane et al, 1990) | 20 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) | 
| Acceptance of Emotion Scale (AE; Weihs et al, 2008) | 13 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) | 
| Emotional Approach Coping scales (Stanton et al., 2000) | 36 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) | 
| The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)(Carlson & Brown, 2005). | 15 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) | 
| Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) (Cohen, 1997) | 20 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) | 
| The Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) (Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, & Löwe, 2006) | 7 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) | 
| The Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) Symptom Scales (Stanton et al., 2005) | 23 item scale | Change from study start to end of intervention (8 weeks) |