Art therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing acute stress symptoms in pediatric trauma patients. 

"This comprehensive summary of SRs demonstrates that MT treatment improved the following: global and social functioning in schizophrenia and/or serious mental disorders, gait and related activities in Parkinson’s disease, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality. MT may have the potential for improving other diseases, but there is not enough evidence at present. Most importantly, a specific adverse effect or harmful phenomenon did not occur in any of the studies, and MT was well tolerated by almost all patients."

"Our findings demonstrate that training in a visual art production group enhances functional connectivity of the DMN, particularly between the parietal and frontal cortices. No such effects were observed in a cognitive art evaluation intervention group."

"In this paper we presented a case study of the ongoing process of healing for an active duty military service member with symptoms of chronic PTSD and mild TBI. Using multiple data sources we identified how the patient overcame resistance to treatment and used art therapy and acupuncture to externalize and manage recurring intrusive images and traumatic memories. In addition, the study highlights the applications of non-verbal therapies like art therapy to help patients who are unable to express themselves through traditional talk therapies, as well as the ways in which multiple...

"Results indicate that free art-making in this context significantly lowered negative affect and improved positive affect and self-efficacy. Improved affect was also moderately correlated with improved self-efficacy. There was no difference between groups based on prior experience with art-making, gender, age, or race/ethnicity. Content themes from the participants’ artwork were very diverse including references to nature, people, activities, memories, and abstract explorations of colors and shapes."

"Our findings suggest that the association and projection fibers interconnecting fronto-parieto-temporal region, for example, CCG/CAB, SLF, and UNC; and fronto-subcortical regions, for example, ATR, are particularly vulnerable to military-related blast injury, where the compromised circuits have significant effects on the functional outcome of chronic mTBI patients. Furthermore, high frequency of blast exposures may deflect negatively normal aging trajectories of white matter integrity. However, longitudinal study with follow-up scans is needed to validate these findings. Nevertheless, our...