Art therapy in eating disorders. A systematic review of controlled trials

Art therapy is able to improve well-being and adherence to treatment, but its effectiveness in eating disorders (ED) is poorly understood. We systematically reviewed clinical studies evaluating the effect of art therapy on clinical, psychological and behavioural indicators of ED. Article search was conducted on PubMed, Embase and clinicaltrials.gov according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, and included all controlled studies published up to March 2024 that used art therapy as an intervention for patients with ED. Included publications should report the effects of art therapy on at least one psychopathological, behavioural, and/or clinical dimension of ED. Six studies were finally included, examining the effects of art therapy, music therapy, writing therapy and DMT on patients with ED. Music therapy was effective in reducing post-meal anxiety, while DMT reduced body dissatisfaction. The limited number of studies, the high heterogeneity of participants, interventions, and measures, and the overall poor quality of essays restrict the conclusions that can be drawn. In order to better assess the potential of art therapy on symptoms and dimensions of ED, the use of comparable instruments, on homogeneous samples, with high methodological approaches (such as randomization) should be a priority.