FSU Receives Art Therapy Grant To Focus On Mental Health

A research team based out of Florida State University has received a research grant to create an art-centered program focused on improving the outcomes of mental health for Generation Z.

What is Art Therapy?

It’s defined as a form of psychotherapy that involves the encouragement of free self-expression through any type of visual art and art medium including painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, or modeling. It is used as a remedial activity or an aid to diagnosis. This kind of therapy can be successfully applied to clients with physical, mental, or emotional problems, diseases, and disorders.

The grant given to Florida State University is for $99,000. It will be used to build on already existing research on the effectiveness of art therapy programs and will be led by Theresa Van Lith, an associate professor in art therapy.

Van Lith together with the team at FSU has developed an online art therapy mindfulness aimed at helping college students to decrease their stress levels. This is an issue that is especially prevalent due to the current situations that are ongoing in the United States as well as around the world.

Van Lith said this about her research team being awarded the grant:

“We are very excited to begin thoroughly examining how art therapy impacts the biological aspects of stress and anxiety in college students, such as sleep and somatic issues, along with outlook and quality of life.”

Barbara Parker-Bell, who is the head of the FSU Art Therapy Group also spoke on the grant being awarded:

“The world urgently needs well-researched, effective means to reducing stress and anxiety,”

Dr. Van Lith and Ms. Beerse’s creative approach to accessible art therapy and on-line care is well suited to college students and our current COVID-19 environments.

We at GrantWatch are pleased to see the arts playing such an important role in today’s ‘new normal’. May philanthropic foundations are digging deep to provide art and culture grant funding. As of the writing of this article, we have over 1,700 arts and culture grants listed on GrantWatch.com.