Incorporating art into a biology course: a student-curated art exhibition about COVID-19.

Incorporating art into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses can be an effective way to help students understand scientific concepts and think about those concepts more holistically. Additionally, art can be used to inform the public about scientific issues. To explore this topic more fully, we developed an assignment for an upper-level biology course in which students curated an art exhibition focused on the 2019 coronavirus disease, COVID-19. Working in pairs, students identified pieces of art in the College's permanent collection that they felt related to some aspect of the pandemic. Each pair wrote a short curator's statement and a more traditional academic essay. The works of art and the curator's statements were displayed on campus. Visitors to the exhibition were invited to complete a short survey about the exhibition and its relevance to COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the students enjoyed and valued the assignment. Limited data from visitors to the exhibition show that they thought the art helped them think more deeply about the pandemic. Based on these results, we conclude that the development of art exhibitions in STEM courses can benefit the students and the public.

The employment of art therapy to develop empathy and foster wellbeing for junior doctors in a palliative medicine rotation - a qualitative exploratory study on acceptability.

BACKGROUND: The interdisciplinary realm of medical humanities explores narratives and experiences that can enhance medical education for physicians through perspective-taking and reflective practice. However, there is a gap in comprehension regarding its appropriateness at the postgraduate level, especially when utilising art therapists as faculty. This study aims to assess the acceptability of an innovative art therapy-focused educational initiative among junior doctors during a palliative care rotation, with the goal of cultivating empathy and promoting well-being. METHODS: A qualitative research project was conducted at the Division of Supportive and Palliative Care (DSPC) in the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). The study involved the recruitment of junior doctors who had successfully completed a three-month palliative care rotation program, spanning from January 2020 to April 2021. In a single small-group session lasting 1.5 h, with 3 to 4 participants each time, the individuals participated in activities such as collage making, group reflection, and sharing of artistic creations. These sessions were facilitated by an accredited art therapist and a clinical psychologist, focusing on themes related to empathy and wellbeing. To assess the acceptability of the program, two individual interviews were conducted three months apart with each participant. An independent research assistant utilised a semi-structured question guide that considered affective attitude, burden, perceived effectiveness, coherence, and self-efficacy. Thematic analysis of the transcribed data was then employed to scrutinise the participants' experiences. RESULTS: A total of 20 individual interviews were completed with 11 participants. The three themes identified were lack of pre-existing knowledge of the humanities, promotors, and barriers to program acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: The participants have mixed perceptions of the program's acceptability. While all completed the program in its entirety, the acceptability of the program is impeded by wider systemic factors such as service and manpower needs. It is vital to address these structural limitations as failing to do so risks skewing current ambivalence towards outright rejection of future endeavours to integrate humanities programs into medical education.

Making meaning of one's own life story in words and images: A narrative case report of personal recovery from personality disorder through the interventions "An Empowering Story" and art therapy.

Understanding and processing life experiences are essential in the treatment of personality disorders to promote personal recovery and psychological wellbeing. In this qualitative case report, drafted in co-creation between the client, clinical psychologist, and art therapist, individual treatment consisted of two psychotherapeutic interventions, "An Empowering Story" and life-story-focused art therapy, in 12 parallel sessions for 24 weeks. Hilda, 68 years of age, had been diagnosed with an unspecified personality disorder and various traits of borderline personality disorder. She experienced emotional exhaustion following long-term mental health problems rooted in a traumatic early childhood. This affected her ability to manage her emotions and social relations, resulting in the sense that her life had no meaning. Hilda was invited to reconstruct her life experiences, divided into the past, turning point, and present/future, in a written and a painted life story. This allowed for the integration of traumatic as well as positive memories, enhanced self-compassion, and meaning making. She developed self-reflection and integration of internal conflicts leading to a better emotional balance and self-understanding. Art therapy emphasizes bottom-up regulatory processes, while narrative psychology supports top-down regulatory processes. The combined approach effectively integrated bottom-up, experiential, sensory experiences with top-down, cognitive emotion-regulation processes. The results suggest that psychotherapeutic interventions involving a multi-pronged, complementary, and thus more holistic approach can support personal recovery in personality disorders.

Experiencing art creation as a therapeutic intervention to relieve anxiety - a case study of a university's ceramic art course.

Background: University students are anxiety prone. Due to their changing their social roles, the proportion of university students with anxiety is relatively high. In this study, using the simple random sampling, we surveyed 53 university students, including sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Aims: This paper examines the relationship between art creation and anxiety. Methods: This study uses the Self-Assessment Anxiety Scale (SAS). The test form measures the presence and extent of their anxiety problems through a series of questions. We tested the effects of an art creation process on SAS scores and suggest best practices for course settings and teaching methods for art-related subjects. Results: Art therapy intervention reduced anxiety. The most effective technique was found to be slapping the clay board during the creation process. Other actions relieved anxiety as well. Results suggest that the art creation process is an application of art therapy effective in relieving anxiety in university students. Conclusion: Key actions in the process of creating art are closely related to the treatment approaches used in art therapy interventions. This has the potential to not only improve mental health, but also to promote the health and well-being of students. Implications for future research: Rapid societal changes increasing competition for employment creates work and life pressures. University students face challenges with learning, peer competition, and employment, often resulting in anxiety. A diversified curriculum can alleviate anxiety through proper curricular planning and design. Based on this, the university's arts courses should be able to study how to improve and optimize the existing teaching and learning outcomes and can be integrated with the university's general education curriculum planning. Through appropriate teaching content and learning methods, the courses of university general education can play a role in reducing students' anxiety and promote physical and mental health, thus contributing to sustainable development of the society.

Utilization of Art in Nursing Education to Enhance Student Spiritual Growth and Holistic Nursing Practice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate student nurses' perceptions of how creative art activities might support spiritual self-exploration, foster understanding of holistic care and promote spiritual growth in relation to Mercy and Jesuit values emphasized in their nursing program. Design: A qualitative design was used with data collected through surveys and students' reflections. Methods: Students enrolled in an introductory nursing course with a service-learning component participated in the study. Students were initially asked to create drawings depicting Mercy/Jesuit charisms, spirituality, and holistic nursing then complete written reflections. At the term's end, students created group art projects connecting service learning, holistic nursing care, and spiritual growth. Students responded to survey questions regarding spirituality, Mercy/Jesuit charisms, nursing practice, and their art experiences. Findings: Surveys were completed by 122 of the 137 students who participated in the art projects. After initial difficulty with artistic expression, most students reported the projects provided an opportunity for introspection related to personal spirituality, nursing, and the impact of service-learning experiences on future nursing practice. Conclusion: Arts-based learning can help students explore and express spirituality related to nursing and support their understanding and integration of values essential to the delivery of holistic nursing care.

Art therapy masks reflect emotional changes in military personnel with PTSS.

Among disabling post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are irritability, aggressive behavior, distressing memories and general impaired cognition and negative mood. Art therapy interventions, including mask-making, can potentially alleviate these symptoms. We tested the hypothesis that art conveys emotions and predicted that blinded viewers would be able to perceive changes in theoretically derived emotional profiles expressed in art made by military personnel with PTSS from the onset to the end of therapy. Five service members and veterans exhibiting PTSS were enrolled in an 8-session art therapy protocol, during which they artistically transformed papier-mâché masks at the beginning and end of the protocol. We found that blinded viewers without knowledge of the masks' creation stage (onset or end of therapy) read initial masks as conveying more negative emotions (e.g., angry, upset, and challenged) and later masks as conveying more positive emotions (calm and pleasure). Based on the assessments from the blinded evaluators, we infer the emotional transition experienced by the participants was expressed in the masks. In an exploratory arm of the study, we also found that viewers were better able to empathize with the negative emotions experienced by participants with PTSS when asked to explicitly take their perspective.

Zentangle® Pilot Study: A Mindfulness Exercise for Oncology Nurses.

BACKGROUND: This study introduced Zentangle®, which involves drawing simple, repetitive lines and shapes to create patterns, as a tool to promote wellness for oncology nurses in a clinical practice setting. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether Zentangle used as a meditative activity in an acute time frame decreased stress, fatigue, and burnout while increasing professional quality of life and well-being in oncology nurses. METHODS: Twenty-six oncology nurses participated in a two-hour Zentangle class and received materials to complete art over four weeks. The Perceived Stress Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29, and the Professional Quality of Life measure were administered at selected periods. Twenty-four participants completed the study. FINDINGS: Nurses' well-being, socialization, anxiety, fatigue, secondary traumatic stress levels, and stress levels improved significantly. Most participants noted they would continue using Zentangle after the study. Zentangle is another tool to advance nurses' wellness by encouraging self-care.

The effects of online art therapy on ego functions, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationship styles in neurotic personality organization.

Art therapy, as an effective therapeutic intervention, is used to improve positive self-image and self-awareness, promote insight, and enhance therapeutic communication. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of art psychotherapy on ego functions, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationship styles of individuals with neurotic personality organization. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, 60 participants were assigned to intervention and control groups, each further divided into three subgroups (n = 10 per subgroup). The intervention group engaged in online art therapy sessions twice weekly over nine weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, and independent t-tests. There was a significant decrease in the intervention group's judgmental subdimensions of the Ego Function Assessment Scale. A significant decrease was found in the intervention group in "awareness" (p < 0.01), "clarity" (p < 0.05), and "impulse" (p < 0.001) subdimensions and total scores of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. There was no statistical difference between the intervention and control groups' mean pretests and posttests and comparing those groups with each other concerning IRSQ scores. The online group art therapy led to successful improvements in participants' ego functions and emotion regulations.

The Modernization of Oriental Music Therapy: Five-Element Music Therapy Combined with Artificial Intelligence.

In recent years, music has been regarded as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for a number of physical and mental conditions. Five-elements music therapy-based on the five-element theory-is a unique non-pharmacological therapy of East Asian traditional medicine. It has the potential to effectively provide individualized music therapy to individuals with illness. However, one limitation of this music therapy is that the classification of the five elements and its application is mainly based on subjective judgment. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled the acoustic analysis of multi-factor sound sources. This can develop five-element music therapy. Here, we discussed the challenges proposed by the future combination of five-element music therapy and AI. Further, we hypothesized that AI may promote its use in the medical field.

Struggling in the dehumanized world of COVID-An exploratory mixed-methods study of frontline healthcare workers' experiences.

AIM: To explore healthcare workers' experiences of the changed caring reality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. DESIGN: An online fully mixed-methods design. METHODS: A web-based self-reported questionnaire with fixed and open-ended answers collected data from March to April 2021, analysed in three steps. First, free-text questions were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Then quantitative linear regression analyses using models covering stress and coping mechanisms were conducted. Finally, a meta-inference of qualitative and quantitative data emerged a new comprehensive understanding. The COREQ guidelines were used for reporting. RESULTS: Meta-inferenced results of quantitative and qualitative findings show the pandemic was a traumatic experience for healthcare workers. Main theme; When work became a frightening experience in a dehumanized reality, comprised four themes: Entering unprepared into a frightful, incomprehensible world; Sacrificing moral values and harbouring dilemmas in isolation; Lack of clear management; and Reorient in togetherness and find meaning in a changed reality. Qualitative results comprised four categories; Working in a dehumanized world; Living in betrayal of ones' own conscience; Lack of structure in a chaotic time and Regaining vitality together. Subdimensions comprehensibility and meaningfulness were associated significantly with post-traumatic stress disorder in multiple regression analysis. In multiple regression analysis, sense of coherence was the most prominent coping strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Forcing oneself to perform beyond one's limit, sacrificing moral values and lacking management was a traumatic experience to healthcare workers during the pandemic. Reorienting as a way of coping was possible in togetherness with colleagues. There is an urgency of interventions to meet the needs among healthcare workers who took on a frontline role during the COVID-19 pandemic and to prevent mental health illness in future crisis. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. SUMMARY: The pandemic outbreak exposed frontline healthcare workers to unparallelled stress shown as negative for their mental health in several meta-analyses and systematic reviews. In-depth understanding on experiences and how symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder relate to coping mechanisms have been scarcely explored. This study contributes to understanding on healthcare workers' experiences and the relation between lower sense of coherence and increased risk of developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE/POLICY: This study might guide how to prepare for resilience in future emergencies.

Medical clowning in hospitals: practices, training and perception.

Previous studies on medical clowning focused on patients, while research remains inadequate concerning clowning itself: training programmes and prerequisite requirements, clowning methods, deontology and accepted practices. Diverse approaches and paradigms in this field of complementary medicine are promoted by non-profit organisations worldwide. Based on an ethnographic study, we explore the current forms of medical clowning in 5 Israeli hospitals. The observed clowns are from the two Israeli organisations, Dream Doctors and Simchat Halev (in Hebrew: joy of the heart), consisting of paid professional medical clowns and volunteers, respectively. According to the findings, significant differences were observed to exist between the organisations. Dream Doctors is conceived and pursued as an expertise practised by performance art professionals, requiring extensive training. These clowns work unaccompanied, receive a salary, are considered members of the medical team, and, given their privileged status, have access to hospitals' open and closed areas. The Dream Doctors consider medical clowning as a paramedical practice, in which interventions are individually suited to the circumstances of each patient, and obtain therapeutic results. In contrast, Simchat Halev's medical clowns are volunteers with no prerequisite artistic background and undergo shorter periods of training. The access granted to these clowns, usually working in pairs, is restricted to open areas. Simchat Halev promotes medical clowning as a volunteer-based public practice, offering general entertainment to all patients indiscriminately, and their contribution is characterised as achieving basic entertainment value.

Drawing your way out: Imagery rehearsal based art therapy (IR-AT) for post-traumatic nightmares in borderline personality disorder.

Posttraumatic nightmares (PTN) are a frequent symptom after a traumatic event and often play part in the psychopathology of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) currently offers the best evidence for an effective treatment to reduce PTNs, although high drop-out rates are common. Art therapy in IRT may counteract this, by its indirect, nonverbal, and often playful approach that helps to break through avoidance. This case study focusses on the perception of a patient with BPD in an art therapy based IRT treatment for patients with PTNs. It tells the story of Aurelia, a 40-year-old woman who, within this treatment, processes traumatic contents of her childhood like physical and sexual violence, but also current interactional problems that manifest themselves in her nightmares. Following the IR-AT treatment for PTNs Aurelia noticed a reduction in her nightmares, was less afraid of them and felt calmer towards her trauma. She expressed herself in the art medium and by this developed more self-efficacy. Her process resulted in an integration of the trauma and a perceived decrease in borderline symptoms. Future research can build on this basis to further explore the mechanisms and effects of IR-AT for PTNs.

[Nursing Experience Using Art Therapy to Help Women With Breast Cancer Face Changes in Body Image].

The subject in this study was a female professional painter who underwent bilateral mastectomy because of bilateral breast cancer, experienced postoperative wound scarring, and developed alopecia due to the side effects of chemotherapy, which caused the patient to lose body image confidence and the motivation to engage in artistic creativity. The patient had shed tears early in the intervention and complained of difficulties with body image adjustment due to her altered appearance. Mastectomy patients must not only undergo drug treatment but also adjust psychologically to body image changes to decrease negative emotions. This was the author's motivation for involvement in this case. The nursing period was from 23 September to 30 December 2021. Physical, mental, spiritual, social, and family data were collected using observations and interviews. These data were evaluated and the main problems were determined to be disturbed body image related to altered body perception post-surgery, alopecia caused by chemotherapy, impaired physical mobility due to upper limb mobility limitations post-surgery, and nausea due to chemotherapy. The patient was encouraged to paint again and to use artistic creativity to comfort herself. Moreover, she was guided to express her innermost thoughts to face the impact of her changes in appearance. In addition, a care consultation channel was provided to facilitate experience sharing with other breast cancer patients, thus assisting the patient to cope with the mental impact of her treatments and face subsequent cancer treatments with a more positive attitude. Art therapy embraces a diverse variety of methods, including drawing and music. Art therapy is a valuable tool that facilitates both physical and mental healing. Based on this experience, nurses should include patients' close relatives when performing art therapy to facilitate shared care to overcome difficulties. We hope this nursing experience provides a practical reference for nurses.

Dyadic Art Appreciation and Self-Expression Program (NCGG-ART) for People with Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment and Their Family Caregivers: A Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Non-pharmacological interventions effective for depressive mood and bilateral relationships among persons with cognitive impairment (PwCI) and their family caregivers (FCGs) have not been established. OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of a newly developed group-based art appreciation and self-expression program (NCGG-ART) for dyads of PwCI and their FCGs. METHODS: This pilot randomized control trial included 34 dyads of PwCI diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment, and their FCGs, from an outpatient rehabilitation service (Holistic Physio-Cognitive Rehabilitation [HPCR]). Participants were randomly divided equally into the HPCR (control group) or NCGG-ART and HPCR (intervention group) groups. Both included 1-hour weekly, 6-week programs. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms among FCGs assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Feasibility outcomes included participant satisfaction and motivation. FCGs were interviewed about their experiences and feelings regarding the program, which were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-two dyads (intervention group:16; control group:16) completed the study period. High participation rates, satisfaction, and motivation were demonstrated throughout the intervention. Scores in the PHQ-9 among FCGs did not show positive effects: mean changes in the score were 1.3 for the intervention group and -0.8 for the control group (Cohen d:0.56). However, the qualitative analysis revealed favorable experiences and feelings of the FCGs, such as positive emotions, social interactions, and person-centered attitudes to and positive relationships with PwCI. CONCLUSIONS: This program demonstrated high feasibility with FCGs' favorable responses to emotions and relationships with PwCI, ensuring future investigations with a confirmatory study design.

Emotional and behavioural difficulties among children and adolescents attending "ART teen clubs" in Mzuzu City in northern Malawi: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: While triple anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has improved HIV-infected children surviving into adolescence and adulthood, these children remain vulnerable to HIV-related psychological disturbance due to both the direct HIV infection effects on the brain and indirect effects related to coping with a range of medical, psychological and social stresses associated with HIV, which makes it vital to identify their mental health needs. This study assessed the emotional and behavioural challenges of HIV perinatally infected children and adolescents with a completed disclosure process attending "ART teen club" in Malawi. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was conducted to obtain quantitative descriptive descriptions of emotional and behavioural challenges among HIV-infected children and adolescents between 10 and 22 years of age. They were interviewed on their family socio-demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics as well as emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, peer and prosocial problems using the Chichewa version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: Based on the four-band categorization of the SDQ, higher scores for total difficulties score were observed in 72.9% of the children. According to the subscales of the SDQ, results show that children had higher scores in peer problems (62.8%), emotional (68.2%), conduct (68.6%) and prosocial (57.8%) subscales while lower scores were identified in the hyperactivity (16.6%) subscale. Results show that within each level, males are having lower frequencies as compared to females. Results from multivariate binary logistic regression indicate that those with a single parent or not as well as the WHO HIV clinical stage had an impact on the mental health status of the children. Children who do not have a single parent (AOR 3.404; 95% CI:1.563-7.416, p = 0.002) had 3.404 odds of having abnormal mental health status unlike those children with a single parent and children who were in WHO HIV clinical stage 2 (AOR 2.536; 95% CI:1.005-6.395, p = 0.049) or 3 and 4 (AOR 8.459; 95% CI:1.5.820-10.544, p < 0.001) had more odds of having the mental disorder as compared with those children in WHO HIV clinical stage 1. CONCLUSION: The findings of this research underscore the multifaceted nature of mental well-being among children and adolescents living with HIV. Elevated scores in total difficulties, emotional, conduct, and peer problems signify areas of concern, while disparities in hyperactivity and prosocial behavior highlight the nuanced nature of their behavioral challenges. Recognizing the inadequacy of a one-size-fits-all approach, the research emphasizes the necessity of a comprehensive strategy, incorporating factors like religious background, family structure, and clinical HIV stage. Furthermore, the role of "ART teen clubs" in this context is pivotal. Beyond addressing identified risk factors, these clubs must actively foster resilience. Creating an inclusive environment, tapping into individual strengths, and nurturing a sense of community are vital components. By adopting such a holistic approach, Teen support clubs can significantly contribute to the overall mental well-being of adolescents living with HIV, enabling them to navigate challenges effectively and thrive amidst their circumstances.

Cognitive behavior, art, and music therapies intervention for treating the depression of children: A randomized control trial.

This study compared the effect of interactive media-based cognitive behaviour, art, and music therapies in reducing depression in children who survived abduction in Nigeria. A randomized control trial was conducted using three randomly selected secondary schools in Northern Nigeria. The study sample comprised 450 children randomly divided into a control group of (n = 225) and an experimental group of (n = 225). The treatment group was further divided into three groups; cognitive behavior (n = 75), art (n = 75), and music (n = 75) therapy, respectively. According to the findings of this study, cognitive behaviour, art, and music therapies via interactive media are a successful intervention technique for treating the depression of schoolchildren who survived abduction in Nigeria. However, compared to art and music therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy is more effective at treating depression. To lessen the depression of children who survived kidnapped in Nigeria, we recommend adopting cognitive behavioural therapy.

Visual art therapy and its effects in older people with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a known risk factor for the development of dementia. The potential benefits on cognition from non-pharmacological measures such as art-based interventions are of increasing interest. This systematic review examines the evidence for the impact of one form of art-based intervention, visual art therapy (VAT), on the cognition and psychological wellbeing of older people with MCI. METHODS: Randomised controlled and quasi-experimental trials evaluating the efficacy of VAT in older persons aged over 60 years with MCI were included. A search was performed on electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and PsycINFO. Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal and extraction tools were utilised for risk of bias assessment and data extraction, respectively. A narrative descriptive approach was used to outline the findings. RESULTS: Seven studies were identified from 4311 articles screened. Improvement in cognition was reported in five studies, with two of these reporting sustained improvement at 6-9 months, while the remaining three studies showed improvement only at the immediate post-intervention period. A positive impact was reported in four of six studies that examined the effect of VAT on participant psychological wellbeing. The overall methodological quality of the studies ranged from moderate in four of five RCTs, to high in the quasi-experimental studies and one RCT. However, the low study power in the context of small sample sizes limits the applicability of these studies to the population of interest. CONCLUSIONS: VAT is potentially an effective non-pharmacological intervention that may enhance cognition and provide benefits for psychological wellbeing in older persons with MCI. Given the limited studies available, with the majority emerging over the last 5 years, further research is required to confirm these reported benefits, as well as to determine whether VAT impacts on the progression of cognitive decline in MCI.

Effect of thyroid function on offspring neurodevelopment in people receiving ART therapy: a prospective cohort study.

CONTEXT: Adequate maternal thyroid hormone is vital for fetal neurodevelopment. Abnormal thyroid function can cause developmental defects in offspring from spontaneous pregnancies; however, research in assisted reproduction is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between thyroid disorders and offspring neurodevelopment from assisted reproduction. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: In this prospective and longitudinal birth cohort study (Jiangsu, China), we included 729 women who had their thyroid function tested before ART cycle and delivered liveborn babies between November 2015 and June 2020. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal thyroid function was assessed by measuring thyroid antibodies, free thyroxine, and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone. The third edition Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development screening test (Bayley-III screening test) is used to assess the infant's neurodevelopment. RESULTS: In multivariate corrected linear regression analysis, infants of women with subclinical hypothyroidism demonstrated a significantly lower receptive communication score (ß = -0.63, 95% CI [-1.12, -0.14], P = 0.013), with stratified analysis showing a significant association among female offspring (ß = -0.87, 95% CI [-1.59, -0.15], P = 0.018) but null association among male offspring (ß = -0.44, 95% CI [-1.03, 0.15], P = 0.145). No significant differences were found in assisted pregnancy population with normal thyroid function and positive antibodies according to the diagnostic cut-offs applied to normal pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical hypothyroidism in assisted pregnancies correlates with lower communication scores in 1-year-olds, especially in girls. Recommending medication for subclinical hypothyroidism throughout, regardless of thyroid autoantibody status.

A Role for Visual Art Therapy in the Management of Migraine.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Migraine is a disabling disorder that adversely affects the whole person and requires multimodal management. Through a brief historical overview of migraine as a subject for visual art, benefits reported from art therapy used in the management of other types of chronic pain, and a summary of the limited research involving art therapy for migraine, we aim to provide support for art therapy's potential role in the management of migraine. RECENT FINDINGS: As art therapy has been shown to be effective in the management of other chronic pain conditions, providing insight into the individual's pain experience and perception of pain, ameliorating pain by means of distraction, and improving psychosocial health, by extension, it may be of benefit in the migraine population as well. Migraine is disabling, and previous literature has shown efficacy in lifestyle modifications as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Based on its efficacy in other pain conditions, we suggest art therapy as an additional tool for the preventive management of migraine.

Efficacy of art therapy in enhancing mental health of clinical nurses: A meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Art therapy (AT) has been widely utilized as a therapeutic approach for clinical nurses. In recent years, more and more researchers have applied art therapy to enhance clinical nurses' mental well-being. However, many studies conducted in this area have suffered from limited sample sizes and insufficient research evidence. AIM: This study aims to conduct a systematic evaluation of the efficacy of art therapy on the mental health of clinical nurses. METHODS: RCTs on art therapy for clinical nurses were searched across databases such as PubMed, Embase, etc., the results were analysed using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: There were 19 RCTs encompassing 1338 clinical nurses involved in this analysis. The Meta-analysis revealed that art therapy exhibited a significant reduction in anxiety levels (measured by the SAS) among clinical nurses, as well as depression levels and perceived stress levels (measured by the CPSS). Furthermore, art therapy demonstrated a reduction in negative coping style and an improvement in positive coping style. DISCUSSION: Findings indicate that art therapy can reduce anxiety, depression and stress levels in clinical nurses, while also enhance positive coping styles and promote mental well-being. Therefore, the widespread implementation of art therapy in this context is highly recommended. DECLARATION: I hereby declare that my article is directly relevant to the field of mental health nursing. It highlights the critical importance of psychological well-being and supplements the evidence on The effects of art therapy on the occupational mental health of clinical nurses.