THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF ART-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN ANXIETY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG ADOLESCENTS WHO HAVE A SIBLING WITH A DISABILITY: A REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23160600Keywords:
Adolescents, Anxiety, Mandala, Distress, Anxiety, Depression, Well-being, SiblingsAbstract
Adolescents who have a sibling with a disability may experience complex psychosocial demands alongside developmental strengths, yet evidence specific to adolescence remains limited. Anxiety and psychological well-being are related but distinct dimensions of mental health, requiring separate evaluation in supportive interventions. This review examines the potential role of art-based interventions, particularly mandala-based activities, in relation to anxiety and psychological well-being among adolescents who have a sibling with a disability. The review synthesizes literature on sibling psychosocial experiences; psychological and psychosocial interventions; art therapy and other visual art-based approaches; and mandala drawing or coloring in adolescent, pediatric, and adjacent sibling populations. Current sibling-focused intervention literature suggests potential benefits for coping, social support, relationships, and selected mental health outcomes, but includes heterogeneous age ranges, intervention formats, and outcome measures. Direct evidence for art-based interventions in siblings is particularly limited: the directly relevant study discussed in this review involved participants aged 7–13 years and assessed stress and self-esteem rather than anxiety or psychological well-being. Evidence from other pediatric and adolescent populations indicates that art therapy and some mandala-based activities may reduce anxiety, whereas findings for psychological well-being are less consistent. Generalization is constrained by mixed-age samples, condition-specific populations, small samples, variable protocols, and the frequent use of outcomes such as stress, self-esteem, quality of life, or coping that should not be treated as substitutes for psychological well-being. Art-based and mandala-based activities should therefore be viewed as promising adjunctive or investigational approaches rather than established treatments for adolescents who have a sibling with a disability. Future research should use adequately powered randomized designs, adolescent-specific samples, standardized intervention protocols, separate validated measures of anxiety and psychological well-being, and longer-term follow-up. In nursing and healthcare practice, optional art-based activities may complement, but should not replace, psychosocial assessment, supportive communication, and referral when indicated.
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