The effects of parent and child participation in visual art activities on the attachment and well-being of young children: A mixed-methods systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to gather evidence concerning the psychological impact of parents and 0- to 5-year-old children participating in visual art activities together, in nonclinical settings. Four electronic databases were systematically searched (ASSIA, PsycARTICLES, Scopus, and Web of Science), alongside a hand search of art sector literature, published between January 2010 and May 2021, in English. Qualitative and quantitative data were synthesized using the Joanna Briggs Institute Mixed Methods Convergent Integrated approach. Of 5,822 studies screened, nine studies were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Overall quality was moderate, but in most cases, the primary research aim was not psychologically focused. Nonetheless, taking part in dyadic (i.e., parent–child) visual art activities appeared to enable parents to increase their capacity for positive interactions in the short term, and improvements were found in the quality and frequency of dyadic interactions. While participating in dyadic visual art activity, children demonstrated mental, social, and emotional well-being. Increased well-being was not evident, however, as baseline measures were not recorded in the reviewed studies. If we are to better under the psychological impact of dyadic visual arts participation, there is a need for further research that isolates visual art participation from confounding factors (such as group participation or mixed artforms), and that utilizes control groups and longitudinal measures. This is the first systematic review which has focused on the impact of visual art participation on the development of attachment relationships in children in nonclinical settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)