The art of wellness: A 14-week art therapy program for at-risk youth

Safe place mandala. •Various art therapy directives were used with trauma-exposed youth.•Art therapy combined with CBT and DBT led to increased resilience in at-risk youth.•Male students showed the strongest improvement after 14 weeks of art therapy.•Ability to compromise, have a positive attitude, and tolerate frustration improved. Previous research has indicated a strong need to develop therapies that prevent the development of psychological problems in youth as opposed to treatment after the fact. In the current study, twenty-three female and nineteen male elementary school students with ages ranging from 9 to 12, participated in a single group within-subjects curriculum-based intervention promoting coping skills and resilience. Students engaged in art therapy combined with CBT and DBT modalities. Results indicated significant increases for the total sample in resilience, social and emotional functioning. Results also indicated male students’ overall stronger improvement relative to female students. Socio-cultural implications and directions for future research are addressed.