Art therapy to reduce burnout and mental distress in healthcare professionals in acute hospitals: a randomised controlled trial (Carr, Ougrin, 2018)

Paul Bassett, Stefan Priebe, Gehan Soosaipillai, Dennis Ougrin, Megan Tjasink, Catherine Elizabeth Carr

BMJ Public Health, Vol 3, Iss 2 (2025)

Available online at this link

Burnout and mental distress are prevalent among healthcare professionals (HCPs), particularly in acute hospital settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured group art therapy intervention in reducing burnout and associated mental distress in HCPs.

We conducted a multicentre, unblinded, randomised, parallel assignment, waitlist-controlled trial in four National Health Service secondary care hospitals in London, UK, between 4 May 2023 and 5 March 2024. A total of 129 HCPs with moderate-to-severe risk of burnout or levels of perceived stress were randomly assigned to either group art therapy (6 weekly 90-min sessions) or a waitlist control.The primary outcome was change in emotional exhaustion as a core dimension of burnout, measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey. Secondary outcomes were the other two burnout dimensions: depersonalisation and personal accomplishment, as well as perceived stress, measured on the perceived stress scale, anxiety, assessed on the generalised anxiety disorder seven-item scale, and depression, measured on the eight-item patient health questionnaire depression scale. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks postintervention/control period. Intervention group outcomes were also assessed at 3-month follow-up.

Primary outcome data were obtained from 115 (89%) of 129 participants, who represented a range of clinical specialties and professions. Emotional exhaustion scores were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group at 6 weeks (adjusted mean difference: 4.8; 95% CI 2.4 to 7.3; p