Art therapists' fear of COVID-19, subjective well-being, and mindfulness. (February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jue, Juliet; Ha, Jung Hee
• Is Part Of: Arts in psychotherapy. Volume 77(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- Subjective well-being -- Mindfulness -- Art therapist -- Pandemic; Art therapy -- Periodicals; Dance therapy -- Periodicals; Music therapy -- Periodicals; Poetry -- Therapeutic use -- Periodicals; 616.891656
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2022.101881
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0197-4556

Abstract

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit face-to-face service fields, including art therapy. The present study examined changes in Korean art therapists' subjective well-being between the pre- and during pandemic periods. We also investigated whether the fear of COVID-19 affected art therapists' subjective well-being and verified the mediating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between COVID-19 fear and subjective well-being. We used the existing data of 203 Korean art therapists' subjective well-being, and recruited 132 new participants. The participants were Korean art therapists and art therapy students who completed a subjective well-being questionnaire, a Fear of COVID-19 scale, and a mindfulness questionnaire. The results indicated lower levels of subjective well-being during the COVID-19 period than pre-pandemic. Furthermore, we confirmed that the fear of COVID-19 lowered subjective well-being, with mindfulness mediating the relationship. This study discusses core components of mindfulness, decentering, and embodiment as attributes shared with art therapy. Our results highlight the importance of dispositional mindfulness to foster subjective well-being during the pandemic. Highlights: Comparing art therapists' subjective well-being between the pre-and during pandemic periods. The fear of COVID-19 lowered art therapists' subjective well-being. Mindfulness mediating the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and subjective well-being. The importance of practicing mindfulness to foster subjective well-being during a pandemic.