USA TODAY created this free special edition on Veteran Affairs in honor of Veteran's Day in 2015.

"Findings indicate that the program addressed children’s needs at a number of points in time with six themes that have emerged from the data. These include, visits with the injured parent, self-expression, distraction and respite, parental engagement, normalization and empowerment. The findings lend support on ways an artists-in-residence program uses creative arts engagement to promote coping for children of hospitalized wounded service members and to encourage ongoing participation in the arts upon discharge.

"Student veterans represent a unique population on college campuses. Not only are they transitioning back to civilian life but also into a new role as college student. This paper describes the attempts of one university to aid in that transition through the means of expressive arts. A detailed description of the Paper Peace and glass pouring workshops and accompanying pictures is provided in this paper. In addition, reflections on the workshops and plans for future workshops are described."

"This paper details a pilot study that used a six-week visual journaling art therapy group with military veterans in recovery in order to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Two participants completed the journaling group, pre- and posttest Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation—Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), and an individual interview. The data from the CORE-OM were analyzed to determine change in overall score as well as the domains of life functioning, risk/harm, problems/symptoms, and subjective well-being. The individual interviews were analyzed to determine...

"Preliminary evidence from self-report measures indicates positive effects on mood, self-esteem, socialization and community participation among the veteran participants and recognition among staff that the course aids the veterans’ recovery process. Appreciating art thus appears to promote both subjective and objective improvement in recovery and community re-integration for veterans who are experiencing chronic and disabling emotional distress."

This document provides evidence that supports successful creative arts therapies and arts in healthcare programs in hopes of encouraging growth of these program to improve our country's health and wellness.