The Application of Painting in the Intervention of Children's Psychological Issues in China: A Narrative Review
-
Wenhui Huang
,
Hanyan Li
,
Wanjun Jiang
,
Yao Tian
,
Ga Qin
Abstract
This article examines the practices, status, evolution and current challenges of painting therapy, in child psychological interventions in China. Empirical evidence shows that painting therapy significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety, anger, and schizophrenia, lowers depression scores, and enhances life satisfaction. Randomized controlled trials indicate improvements in emotional disorders, ADHD, and social adaptability. Qualitative research highlights enhanced emotional recognition and self-expression abilities in children with social disorders and ASD. Although painting therapy has made some progress in China, it faces challenges such as shortage of professional talents and lack of standardization. It is recommended to strengthen professional training, improve certification systems, interdisciplinary cooperation and the application of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. This study underscores the potential for art therapy to become a more accessible and impactful tool in child psychology, benefiting not only China but also contributing to global mental health practices.
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2. Moula Z (2020). A systematic review of the effectiveness of art therapy delivered in school-based settings to children aged 5–12 years. Int J Art Ther, 25(2):88-99.
3. Christopher AL (1999). Understanding Children's Drawings. Art Products, 38(7):936-7.
4. Waller D (2006). Art therapy for children: How it leads to change. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry, 11(2):271-82.
5. Malchiodi CA (2011). Handbook of art therapy. Guilford Press. New York.
6. Tang X (2011). A preliminary exploration and application of expressive art therapy. J Chifeng Uni, (12):3.
7. Zhang YP, Zhang DH, Zhang DW (2014). The application of art therapy through painting in children with emotional disorders. China Health Care Nutrition, (4):1806-7.
8. Liao MH, Liu Z, Liu WJ, et al (2023). Advances in cognitive behavioral art therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Chinese J School Health, 44(6):956-60.
9. Amiralsadat Hafshejani F, Akbari B, HosseinKhanzadeh AA, et al (2023). Meta-analysis of Effective Treatments in Reducing Children's Anxiety. J Child Ment Health, 10(2):121-38.
10. Ning S, Zheng L, Li X, et al (2015). An application study of the House-Tree-Person Test for assessing depression in adolescents. Chin J Clin Res, 28(3):3.
11. Wang N, Liu Y, Chen R, et al (2019). The impact of group art therapy on emotional regulation and executive function in adolescents with depression. J Hebei Medical University, 40(2):4.
12. Lai YX, Xu XY, Zhou LQ, et al (2022). Analysis of family status and need for line drawing techniques in children withautism: a case study of a children’s rehabilitation center in Hangzhou. Psychologies Magazine, 17(5):215-7.
13. Liang B. Application of painting therapy in children with psychological trauma in traffic accidents. Changchun University of Technology. 2013.
14. Qiu HZ, Liang RQ, Chen LY, et al (2015). Review on the Role of Painting Psychotherapy in the Psychological Rehabilitation. Chinese J Health Psychology, (05):788-92.
15. Tao L (2007). Art therapy and school counseling: An integrative effect under a new perspective. J Tissue Engineering Research, 11(17):3393-6.
16. Ying Y. Exploration into the art therapy among the chinese teenagers--theoretical studies and pragmatic applications. East China Normal University. 2013.
17. Zhou H (2014). The Development of Art Therapy: Retrospect and Prospect. J East China Normal University, 32(01):97-102.
18. Zheng QQ, Chen DN (2020). A Review of Domestic Painting Therapy Research in the Past Ten Years. China Health Industry, 17(33):4.
19. Chang YM (2016). Development and outcomes of a parenting art therapy group program. Taiwanese J Art Therapy, 4(2):48-69.
20. Zhang J. An exploratory study on the effectiveness of art group therapy in mitigating anger among junior high school students from divorced families. Yunnan Normal University. 2013.
21. Liebmann M (2004). Art therapy for groups: A handbook of themes and exercises. Brunner-Routledge. Philadelphia.
22. Wang JJ, Fu D, Zhu XH, et al (2010). The analyses of efficacy of drawing adjunctive therapy for adolescent schizophrenia. J Clin Psychosomatic D, 16(3):3.
23. Zhao CQ, Wang HQ, He JP, et al (2019). Study on the Intervention Effect of Painting Analysis and Treatment on Adolescent Depression Disorder. Chinese Medical Innovations, (8):5.
24. Jia M, Zhang YJ (2012). Effect of the painting therapy in children with emotional disorders. J Clinical Psychiatry, 22(2):2.
25. Wang F, Li B (2017). An Analysis of the Effect of Painting on the Interventions in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Chinese J Special Education, (3):59-64.
26. Fan XL, Yuan P (2020). Analysis of the intervention effect of drawing therapy on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Chinese J School Health, 41(4):5.
27. Ren D, Lei S, Qu Q (2017). Analysis of the intervention effects of psychotherapy on adolescent depressive disorders. China Health Care Nutri, 27(17):371.
28. Zhang Y (2021). Application research on the use of art therapy in the intervention of psychological health issues in impoverished children – A case study of Changsha City. Nanbeiqiao, 000(004):126-7,13.
29. Sun P. A case study of art therapy promoting develepment of childen mental health. Shandong Normal University. 2011.
30. Zang L (2016). A case study of drawing and art therapy in children with autism. Time Education, (18):6-7.
31. Chen D. A case study the drawing therapy application in children's social withdrawal behaviors. Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics. 2015.
32. Ma C. Intervention case analysis and research on art therapy for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. China Academy of Art. 2016.
33. Xu L. The role of the art therapist. Shandong University Of Arts. 2017.
34. Malchiodi C (2006). Art Therapy Sourcebook. McGraw-Hill Companies. New York.
35. Rubin JA (1984). Child art therapy: Understanding and helping children grow through art. Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York
36. Chen R (2023). An exploration of the healing function in Chinese painting. Popular Literature, 16:61-3.
37. Guo Y (2018). An exploration of the application of Chinese traditional culture in art therapy. Northern Literature, (12):3.
38. Sun B. Research on the Exploration and Application of Chinese CharacterCalligraphy Therapy Theory. Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University. 2019.
39. Ding Y, He Z (2018). Research On The Mechanism Of Psychological Consultation And Treatment In Chinese Traditional Culture. World Latest Medical Information, (82):2.
40. Fei M (2001). Traditional cultural instruments and artistic psychotherapy. Modern Rehabilitation, 5(21):24-5.
41. Zhang N, Sun Y (2023). Application Review of Virtual Reality Technology in Psychotherapy. J Shenyang Normal University, 2(01):101-9.
42. Han J (2019). Digital Technologies in Mental Health: Present and Future. Psychology Communications, 2(2):6.
43. Yi RH, Lü DX, Yang ZH (2023). Research progress on digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia disorder. J Int Psychiatry, 50(5):942-5.
44. Wang M, Jia FQ (2023). Application and development of artificial intelligence in psychological counseling and treatment. Psychological Monthly, 18(11):227-30.
45. Zhu TS (2019). Scenarios of Applying Artificial Intelligence in Psychological Research. Frontiers, (20):6.
46. Torous J, Bucci S, Bell IH, et al (2021). The growing field of digital psychiatry: current evidence and the future of apps, social media, chatbots, and virtual reality. World Psychiatry, 20(3):318-35.
47. Liverpool S, Mota CP, Sales CM, et al (2020). Engaging children and young people in digital mental health interventions: systematic review of modes of delivery, facilitators, and barriers. J Med Internet Res, 22(6):e16317.
48. Kazdin AE (2019). Annual research review: expanding mental health services through novel models of intervention delivery. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 60(4):455-72.
49. Shaballout N, Neubert T-A, Boudreau S, et al (2019). From paper to digital applications of the pain drawing: systematic review of methodological milestones. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 7(9):e14569.
50. Choe N (2016). Utilizing digital tools and apps in art therapy sessions. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 54-66 p.
51. Parsons TD, Riva G, Parsons S, et al (2017). Virtual reality in pediatric psychology. Pediatrics, 140(Suppl 2):S86-S91.
52. Lin YQ, Wang X, Peng KP, et al (2018). Virtual reality technology in the psychological treatment for autism spectrum disorders: An systematic review. Advances Psychological Science, 26(3):9.
53. Hu B (2022). Analysis of Art Therapy for Children with Autism by Using the Implemented Artificial Intelligence System. Int J Hum Robot, 19(3):2240002.
54. Kim T, Yoon Y, Lee K, et al (2021). Application of Deep Learning in Art Therapy. International Journal of Machine Learning and Computing, 11(6):407-12.
55. Zhai Q, Feng L, Zhang G, et al (2020). The application of artificial intelligence in the field of mental health. Zhejiang Medical, 42(10):8.
56. Kim S-i, Kim K-E, Song S (2024). Exploring artificial intelligence approach to art therapy assessment: A case study on the classification and the estimation of psychological state based on a drawing. New Ideas Psychol, 73:101074.
57. Tahan M, Saleem T (2021). Application of artificial intelligence for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in psychology: a review. Neuropsych Neuro-Pol, 18(1):36-45.
58. Cooney MD, Menezes MLR (2018). Design for an art therapy robot: An explorative review of the theoretical foundations for engaging in emotional and creative painting with a robot. Multimodal Technol Interact, 2(3):52.
2. Moula Z (2020). A systematic review of the effectiveness of art therapy delivered in school-based settings to children aged 5–12 years. Int J Art Ther, 25(2):88-99.
3. Christopher AL (1999). Understanding Children's Drawings. Art Products, 38(7):936-7.
4. Waller D (2006). Art therapy for children: How it leads to change. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry, 11(2):271-82.
5. Malchiodi CA (2011). Handbook of art therapy. Guilford Press. New York.
6. Tang X (2011). A preliminary exploration and application of expressive art therapy. J Chifeng Uni, (12):3.
7. Zhang YP, Zhang DH, Zhang DW (2014). The application of art therapy through painting in children with emotional disorders. China Health Care Nutrition, (4):1806-7.
8. Liao MH, Liu Z, Liu WJ, et al (2023). Advances in cognitive behavioral art therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Chinese J School Health, 44(6):956-60.
9. Amiralsadat Hafshejani F, Akbari B, HosseinKhanzadeh AA, et al (2023). Meta-analysis of Effective Treatments in Reducing Children's Anxiety. J Child Ment Health, 10(2):121-38.
10. Ning S, Zheng L, Li X, et al (2015). An application study of the House-Tree-Person Test for assessing depression in adolescents. Chin J Clin Res, 28(3):3.
11. Wang N, Liu Y, Chen R, et al (2019). The impact of group art therapy on emotional regulation and executive function in adolescents with depression. J Hebei Medical University, 40(2):4.
12. Lai YX, Xu XY, Zhou LQ, et al (2022). Analysis of family status and need for line drawing techniques in children withautism: a case study of a children’s rehabilitation center in Hangzhou. Psychologies Magazine, 17(5):215-7.
13. Liang B. Application of painting therapy in children with psychological trauma in traffic accidents. Changchun University of Technology. 2013.
14. Qiu HZ, Liang RQ, Chen LY, et al (2015). Review on the Role of Painting Psychotherapy in the Psychological Rehabilitation. Chinese J Health Psychology, (05):788-92.
15. Tao L (2007). Art therapy and school counseling: An integrative effect under a new perspective. J Tissue Engineering Research, 11(17):3393-6.
16. Ying Y. Exploration into the art therapy among the chinese teenagers--theoretical studies and pragmatic applications. East China Normal University. 2013.
17. Zhou H (2014). The Development of Art Therapy: Retrospect and Prospect. J East China Normal University, 32(01):97-102.
18. Zheng QQ, Chen DN (2020). A Review of Domestic Painting Therapy Research in the Past Ten Years. China Health Industry, 17(33):4.
19. Chang YM (2016). Development and outcomes of a parenting art therapy group program. Taiwanese J Art Therapy, 4(2):48-69.
20. Zhang J. An exploratory study on the effectiveness of art group therapy in mitigating anger among junior high school students from divorced families. Yunnan Normal University. 2013.
21. Liebmann M (2004). Art therapy for groups: A handbook of themes and exercises. Brunner-Routledge. Philadelphia.
22. Wang JJ, Fu D, Zhu XH, et al (2010). The analyses of efficacy of drawing adjunctive therapy for adolescent schizophrenia. J Clin Psychosomatic D, 16(3):3.
23. Zhao CQ, Wang HQ, He JP, et al (2019). Study on the Intervention Effect of Painting Analysis and Treatment on Adolescent Depression Disorder. Chinese Medical Innovations, (8):5.
24. Jia M, Zhang YJ (2012). Effect of the painting therapy in children with emotional disorders. J Clinical Psychiatry, 22(2):2.
25. Wang F, Li B (2017). An Analysis of the Effect of Painting on the Interventions in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Chinese J Special Education, (3):59-64.
26. Fan XL, Yuan P (2020). Analysis of the intervention effect of drawing therapy on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Chinese J School Health, 41(4):5.
27. Ren D, Lei S, Qu Q (2017). Analysis of the intervention effects of psychotherapy on adolescent depressive disorders. China Health Care Nutri, 27(17):371.
28. Zhang Y (2021). Application research on the use of art therapy in the intervention of psychological health issues in impoverished children – A case study of Changsha City. Nanbeiqiao, 000(004):126-7,13.
29. Sun P. A case study of art therapy promoting develepment of childen mental health. Shandong Normal University. 2011.
30. Zang L (2016). A case study of drawing and art therapy in children with autism. Time Education, (18):6-7.
31. Chen D. A case study the drawing therapy application in children's social withdrawal behaviors. Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics. 2015.
32. Ma C. Intervention case analysis and research on art therapy for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. China Academy of Art. 2016.
33. Xu L. The role of the art therapist. Shandong University Of Arts. 2017.
34. Malchiodi C (2006). Art Therapy Sourcebook. McGraw-Hill Companies. New York.
35. Rubin JA (1984). Child art therapy: Understanding and helping children grow through art. Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York
36. Chen R (2023). An exploration of the healing function in Chinese painting. Popular Literature, 16:61-3.
37. Guo Y (2018). An exploration of the application of Chinese traditional culture in art therapy. Northern Literature, (12):3.
38. Sun B. Research on the Exploration and Application of Chinese CharacterCalligraphy Therapy Theory. Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University. 2019.
39. Ding Y, He Z (2018). Research On The Mechanism Of Psychological Consultation And Treatment In Chinese Traditional Culture. World Latest Medical Information, (82):2.
40. Fei M (2001). Traditional cultural instruments and artistic psychotherapy. Modern Rehabilitation, 5(21):24-5.
41. Zhang N, Sun Y (2023). Application Review of Virtual Reality Technology in Psychotherapy. J Shenyang Normal University, 2(01):101-9.
42. Han J (2019). Digital Technologies in Mental Health: Present and Future. Psychology Communications, 2(2):6.
43. Yi RH, Lü DX, Yang ZH (2023). Research progress on digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia disorder. J Int Psychiatry, 50(5):942-5.
44. Wang M, Jia FQ (2023). Application and development of artificial intelligence in psychological counseling and treatment. Psychological Monthly, 18(11):227-30.
45. Zhu TS (2019). Scenarios of Applying Artificial Intelligence in Psychological Research. Frontiers, (20):6.
46. Torous J, Bucci S, Bell IH, et al (2021). The growing field of digital psychiatry: current evidence and the future of apps, social media, chatbots, and virtual reality. World Psychiatry, 20(3):318-35.
47. Liverpool S, Mota CP, Sales CM, et al (2020). Engaging children and young people in digital mental health interventions: systematic review of modes of delivery, facilitators, and barriers. J Med Internet Res, 22(6):e16317.
48. Kazdin AE (2019). Annual research review: expanding mental health services through novel models of intervention delivery. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 60(4):455-72.
49. Shaballout N, Neubert T-A, Boudreau S, et al (2019). From paper to digital applications of the pain drawing: systematic review of methodological milestones. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 7(9):e14569.
50. Choe N (2016). Utilizing digital tools and apps in art therapy sessions. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 54-66 p.
51. Parsons TD, Riva G, Parsons S, et al (2017). Virtual reality in pediatric psychology. Pediatrics, 140(Suppl 2):S86-S91.
52. Lin YQ, Wang X, Peng KP, et al (2018). Virtual reality technology in the psychological treatment for autism spectrum disorders: An systematic review. Advances Psychological Science, 26(3):9.
53. Hu B (2022). Analysis of Art Therapy for Children with Autism by Using the Implemented Artificial Intelligence System. Int J Hum Robot, 19(3):2240002.
54. Kim T, Yoon Y, Lee K, et al (2021). Application of Deep Learning in Art Therapy. International Journal of Machine Learning and Computing, 11(6):407-12.
55. Zhai Q, Feng L, Zhang G, et al (2020). The application of artificial intelligence in the field of mental health. Zhejiang Medical, 42(10):8.
56. Kim S-i, Kim K-E, Song S (2024). Exploring artificial intelligence approach to art therapy assessment: A case study on the classification and the estimation of psychological state based on a drawing. New Ideas Psychol, 73:101074.
57. Tahan M, Saleem T (2021). Application of artificial intelligence for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in psychology: a review. Neuropsych Neuro-Pol, 18(1):36-45.
58. Cooney MD, Menezes MLR (2018). Design for an art therapy robot: An explorative review of the theoretical foundations for engaging in emotional and creative painting with a robot. Multimodal Technol Interact, 2(3):52.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 54 No 7 (2025) | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v54i7.19112 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Art therapy Painting Children Psychological issues China | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Huang W, Li H, Jiang W, Tian Y, Qin G. The Application of Painting in the Intervention of Children’s Psychological Issues in China: A Narrative Review. Iran J Public Health. 2025;54(7):1331-1338.
