SynthesisBMJ open2023
Group-based active artistic interventions for adults with primary anxiety and depression: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Dance-Based Interventions for Mental Health: A Comprehensive and Quality-Sensitive Umbrella Review of Definitions, Measurement Practices, and Evidence Fragmentation.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Potential benefits of music-based therapies on rehabilitation outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Art therapy for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Article
- Coproduced, arts interventions for nurturing care (0-5 years) in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs): a realist review.BMJ open · 2024Review
- Combining Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) with Conventional Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis systematic review examined the potential benefit of all group-based performing arts interventions for primary anxiety and/or depression.
settingScholarly literature from any country or countries globally. DATA SOURCES: Three key bibliographic databases, Google Scholar and relevant citation chasing. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Depression and/or anxiety symptom severity, well-being, quality of life, functional communication or social participation.
resultsDatabase searches returned a total of 63 678 records, of which 56 059 remained following dededuplication. From these database searches, a total of 153 records proceeded to full-text screening. These were supplemented by 18 additional unique full-text screening records from Google Scholar searches and citation chasing (12% of total). From a total of 171 records at the full-text screening stage, 12 publications (7%) were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review, each reporting on a separate study. Published from 2004 to 2021, these studies involved a total of 669 participants with anxiety and/or depression from nine countries and covered five broad artistic modalities: dance, music therapy, art therapy, martial arts and theatre. Dance was the most studied artistic modality (five studies), while there were three studies on art therapy, two on music therapy and one each on martial arts and theatre. The evidence was clearest for a benefit of arts therapies on depression and/or anxiety symptoms.
conclusionsThis systematic review addresses all group-based active arts interventions in a focused population of primary anxiety and/or depression. The evidence suggests that the arts may be a useful therapeutic medium in this population. However, a substantial limitation of the evidence base is the lack of studies directly comparing different artistic modalities. Moreover, not all artistic modalities were assessed for all outcome domains. Therefore, it is not currently possible to determine which artistic modalities are most beneficial for which specific outcomes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.