The use of creative art therapy to address the mental health of refugee adolescents: a systematic review.

Abstract

Introduction: Creative art therapy (CAT) has become increasingly popular as a means of promoting positive mental health among adolescent refugees when accompanied by interdisciplinary interventions that engage families and communities. In this pre-registered systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42022372538), we evaluated and synthesized the available literature reporting the use of CAT as a diagnostic, treatment and mental health promotion intervention with adolescent refugees, aged 10-24 years.

Methodology: We conducted a systematic search of the grey and black literature published in English and Arabic between 2012 to 2022 on 10 databases.

Results: Systematic database searches revealed 397 articles but only 5 met our inclusion criteria. These studies reported some positive outcomes but the evidence supporting the effectiveness of CAT as a diagnostic, treatment and mental health promotion intervention with adolescent refugees, aged 10-24 years is inconclusive.

Conclusion: The findings of this review point to the need for more methodologically robust studies that describe the intervention, implementation, and therapeutic approaches in greater detail to strengthen the evidence for the use of CAT with adolescent refugees.