The Power of Art: The Emotional and Physiological Impact of Creating Self-Portraits using Mandalas and Human Figure Drawings

Abstract

Art therapy, a nonverbal intervention, promotes self-expression and healing. Previous research has generally not compared art therapeutic techniques together. Although human figure drawings and mandala drawings both involve creating an image of the self, the two art therapeutic techniques have not been explored or compared within a single study. When determining the overall impact of engaging in drawings, specifically anxiety reduction, previous studies relied on either subjective or objective measures rather than combining both. Only a few experimentally designed studies have attempted to maintain the art therapeutic process through their drawing instructions and/or by asking qualitative questions about the drawings. There are also variations in studies instructing participants to either color pre-drawn mandalas or to draw their own mandalas.

This study assessed the emotional and physiological impact of art therapeutic techniques by measuring shifts in state anxiety subjectively through self-report measures and objectively through pulse rate. Participants were randomly assigned to drawing conditions: the mandala group, the human figure drawing group, and the free drawing group (control). Participants also completed surveys that measured trait anxiety and general mental distress. To mimic the art therapeutic process, instructions were provided for each drawing condition and participants were followed-up with qualitative questions about the meaning of their drawings.

The results of this study supported a strong relationship among general mental distress and self-reported state and trait anxiety, especially at baseline and after a mood induction task. However, general mental distress, state anxiety, and trait anxiety did not have strong relationships with pulse rate recordings. When comparing drawing conditions, there were no differences in state anxiety or pulse rate at any time point during the experiment. Rather, all drawing groups on average demonstrated elevations in state anxiety after mood was induced, and reductions in state anxiety after completing their assigned drawing. For pulse rates, all drawing groups on average demonstrated a reduction in pulse rate after completing their assigned drawing. Qualitatively, there were shared themes among all drawing groups, while some were more common in specific groups. In conclusion, the process of drawing regardless of drawing condition generally reduced state anxiety and pulse rate.