Care and methodology issues in the assessment of arts therapy protocols: The experiences of the Creative Arts Therapies Unit at the Institut Rafaël

Creative arts therapies are healthcare practices based on the therapeutic use of the artistic creation process. Used as supportive care in oncology for many years, research into arts therapies confirms that these practices meet the specific needs of people who are physically, psychologically, and socially fragile. However, to date, no studies have examined the reasons for referral and the common benefits of arts therapies in integrative oncology, which makes their evaluation complex. The Institut Rafaël, an integrative health center, includes a care unit dedicated to creative arts therapies. These practices are offered as part of a multidisciplinary, coordinated, and evaluated care plan. We have compiled and analyzed the reasons for referral within the Creative Arts Therapies Unit, as managed by coordinators, as well as the criteria evaluated by arts therapists across each discipline since the opening of the institute. Anxiety emerged as the most prevalent and common symptom among all patients referred to the unit, closely followed by generalized fatigue and feelings of sadness. Creative arts therapists, aiming to support patients’ creative resources, are thus faced with a range of emotional, physical, cognitive, and social issues, which can be empirically evaluated following therapeutic methods specific to creative arts therapies. Their analysis could lead to the introduction of new common assessments for all these disciplines, using standardized questionnaires. It will also help to focus research on the target symptoms of art therapy in oncology.