Impact of a Single Art Therapy Session on Mood and Symptom Burden in Palliative Care

NCT ID: NCT06924268

Last Updated: 2025-04-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-06-01
• Study Completion Date: 2026-08-01

Brief Summary

The goal of this observational study is to explore whether a single art therapy session can improve mood and reduce symptom burden in adult palliative care patients at a Canadian inpatient unit. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does a single art therapy session reduce overall symptom burden, as measured by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)?
• Does a single art therapy session improve mood, as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)?

Participants will:

• Complete two short questionnaires (ESAS and PANAS) before and after the session
• Participate in a 30-60 minute individual art therapy session

Detailed Description

This is a single-centre, prospective, observational pre-post study conducted at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, VG, 7A Palliative Care Unit. The aim is to evaluate whether a one-time, individualized art therapy session can positively impact emotional well-being and symptom distress in adults receiving inpatient palliative care.

Participants will be approached by the charge nurse and invited to participate if they meet the eligibility criteria. Following informed consent, participants will complete two validated self-report tools: the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). These assessments will be administered immediately before and again immediately after a 30-60 minute art therapy session, which will include open-ended creative engagement using simple materials such as watercolor and pastels.

The Study Objectives are:

1. To determine whether participation in a structured art therapy session improves mood and symptom burden in palliative care patients

2. Examine whether engagement in coloring activities influences emotional well-being as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and symptom burden as measured by the Modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS).

3. Is there a difference in as-needed (PRN) opioid, benzodiazepine, and Z drug use in the 48 hours before and after the session

4. Examine whether specific patient characteristics, such as primary diagnosis or time from admission to intervention, impact the observed effects.

All data will be de-identified and analyzed descriptively and inferentially to assess trends in mood and symptom change following the intervention. This study does not involve randomization or a control group. It is designed to inform future research and program development in supportive care interventions within palliative settings.

Conditions

Emotional Distress; Pain; Anxiety

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: OTHER
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Interventions

Single Art Therapy Session

Each participant will engage in a 30-60 minute structured art therapy session using pre-drawn coloring sheets featuring themes such as mandalas, nature scenes, and inspirational designs. A variety of coloring tools will be provided, including crayons, colored pencils, markers, gel pens, and watercolor paints. Sessions will be facilitated by the primary investigator, who will provide non-directive prompts and engage in casual conversation to foster comfort and engagement.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Visual arts therapy; Expressive arts

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• inclusion if they are adults (=18 years old)
• admitted to the PCU
• have the ability to communicate
• complete self-assessments with or without facilitator assistance
• possess the ability to engage in a 30-60 minute art therapy session

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients will be excluded if they are under 18 years of age
• within 48hrs of admission or discharge
• experiencing severe cognitive impairment, uncontrolled symptoms, or delirium.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Dalhousie University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Nova Scotia Health Authority

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Caitlin Lees, MA, MSc, MD, FRCPC

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Nova Scotia Health Authority

Jonathan Clements, BSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Dalhousie University

Lindsay Flinn, MD, CCFP (PC)

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Nova Scotia Health Authority

Central Contacts

Jonathan Clements

Role: CONTACT

Jonathan.clements@dal.ca

647-465-2050

Other Identifiers

2025060172580

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id