Art Therapy Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients

A Mixed Methods Approach to Evaluating How Art Therapy Can Benefit Women Recently Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

As studies continue to debate the effects of quality of life on survival, increased attention is being focused on investigating complementary alternative therapies to boost overall total health in cancer patients . Art therapy is an interesting growing field, which has shown promise to positively influence quality of life in the pediatric and adult oncology population alike. As there is a paucity of well controlled complete studies in this field, the investigators propose to study the impact of art therapy sessions in women with breast cancer with quantitative and qualitative analysis of emotional health and physical symptoms.

The results of the investigators study will have widespread applicability to oncology programs that wish to offer/implement such sessions to their palliative and non-palliative outpatients in an effort to address the important concept of whole person care.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Any woman 18-years or older
2. Stage I to III breast cancer (first time diagnosis)
3. Minimum of 6 weeks Post Operative status