Art-based interventions have been found to reduce depression and several scientific studies have shown how art forms like mandala drawing, mud crafts, collages, drawing of happy times in their lives, finger painting, modeling clay, collaborative paintings.

Proposed Mechanisms of Change

Physical: engagement in a creative activity that had physical aspects was seen to catalyze relaxation and reduction of stress.
Cultural: the making of art was seen to facilitate creative expression and play; the use of context-responsive creative expression was seen as significant; creative expression was enabled by use of accessible media of clay and painting; evocation of familiarity and positive memories was catalyzed by use of culturally appropriate traditional crafts and arts.
Emotional/intrapersonal: creation of art products was seen to provide valuable distance and enable externalization and visual communication of inner subjective experiences, expression of positive and negative emotions and promotion of autonomy and positive views of self-agency and mastery was seen to be strengthened by the act of completing an art piece.
Cognitive: artmaking was seen to enable: reinforcement and recall of positive memories and distraction from ruminative thoughts.
Interpersonal: group work (with or without therapist’s involvement) was seen to encourage socialization and sharing.
Engaging in art was found to show reduction in levels of depression and improved ability for self-expression by stimulating and benefiting cognition, physical state, empowerment in the ability to manage emotion, communication, social relations, and spiritual dimensions which resulted in improved concentration, emotion, self-confidence, and motivation. Over time participants have shown increased self-esteem through mastery of materials; shifting from passively waiting for guidance and assistance to increasing independence in the art process. Artistic pursuits have shown to result in reduction of ruminating and recurring thoughts and enable self-expression, autonomy, playfulness, and self-soothing.

Facilitation of meaningful group engagement and successful experiences in art processes resulted in relaxation, increasing confidence, increased socialization, increased aesthetic skills, increased-self-reflection, decreased depression, and anxiety, increased life satisfaction. Experience of support from researchers led to feelings of accomplishment reability to do something new and hopes to continue improving and learning new skills related to the art-making; engagement in new activities added to feelings of positive self-worth; engagement in traditional art-making offered opportunity to nurture self-esteem through exploring new skills and possibilities.