Mapping Global Research Trends in Art Therapy for Psychological Distress: A Bibliometric Analysis
Ezgi Merve Ertan, Aynur Karabacak‐ÇelikABSTRACT
Background
Art therapy is a psychological intervention that boosts emotional expression, enhances self‐awareness and has increasingly been employed within mental health settings to alleviate psychological distress. Although extensive research has examined the art therapy interventions for reducing psychological distress, little is known about its bibliometric mapping.
Method
Accordingly, this study aims to identify emerging research trends in the use of art therapy for psychological distress components through a bibliometric analysis. We retrieved 935 articles that met the inclusion criteria published between 1980 and 2025 in WoS Core Collection.
Results
Results show that annual scientific production has increased, especially in recent years. The results also show that the cooperation between the United States and Israel is the most intensive, that the United States is the most productive country in terms of research trends, that Haifa University is the most productive institution and that Arts in Psychotherapy is the most preferred journal. The co‐occurrence analysis findings revealed six primary thematic clusters: art therapy, cancer, stress, trauma, mindfulness and anxiety (items = 30, links = 189, total link strength = 1000). Thematic map results indicated that anxiety, depression, stress and trauma topics were basic, structuring themes. Thematic evolution results indicated that earlier studies mainly focused on health issues associated with cancer and medical problems; emerging topics expanded to incorporate general mental health problems including depression, anxiety, emotional regulation, psychological well‐being and refugee's problems.
Conclusions
Results indicate a sustained and expanding scholarly interest in the role of art therapy in psychological distress components.