Overview

• Research suggests that many people can find art therapy helpful when approaching the end of life. People have reported decreased distress or increased wellbeing after an art therapy session (3, 4, 5, 6).

• We found 11 studies from different countries looking at the wellbeing of either the person or loved ones and four studies of art therapy for care staff.
• The number of art therapy sessions varied from 1 to 16 and were offered one-to-one or jointly with a family member. Most were for an hour, but some were shorter to accommodate people’s condition. The art therapy took place in a hospital, hospice or palliative care unit.

• Many of the studies discussed how the art therapist tailored art activities to what the people in end-of-life care could manage, given their condition. For example, just having a half hour session (5), having a discussion a few days before about what people would like to do and what was manageable (4) or the art therapist making art on the person’s behalf (7, 8)

What outcomes have people experienced following art therapy? 

Wellbeing at the end of life

Five studies reported how people felt before and after an art therapy session. They reported a decrease in pain (3, 4, 6), feeling less tired (4, 6), or calmer or more positive, and less anxious or distressed (3, 4, 5, 6).

Family members

Family members may also feel more positive after art therapy sessions (9, 4) or appreciate their loved one’s artwork during bereavement as a reminder of something they had enjoyed (7, 4).

One paper described how the art therapist made a plaster cast of the person’s hands, or the clasped hands of the person and their loved one, and how these casts could be a comfort to the surviving partner (10).

Children

Two qualitative studies were about art therapy with a child in end-of-life care (11, 12). In both cases, art therapy seemed to help the child to express distress or needs.

In one, the child’s sister had her own sessions and was able to ask questions and understand that she was not to blame (11). The art therapist made a plaster cast of the mother’s and her son’s clasped hands.

Identity and communication

Many of the studies mentioned how art therapy could help the person communicate with others through their artwork. One example is a study involving a man with terminal cancer who had 22 art therapy sessions (13). The author reported that it helped him towards acceptance of dying and helped him to connect with nurses and family members by showing them his art.

Two studies explained how the art therapist can make art on behalf of the person at the end of life (7, 8). One involved making a portrait according to each patient’s wishes, over 12 weeks and exhibiting them in a gallery (8). It enabled the patients to control how they were seen, re-evaluate their life, and communicate with others through the portraits. Visitors to the gallery had a range of emotional reactions, with one suggesting that the portraits raised awareness about the illnesses. Bereaved family members found comfort and value in the portraits.

Support for staff 

Four studies assessed how end-of-life care staff experienced art therapy aimed at supporting them in their work (14, 15, 16, 17). One was a randomised controlled trial (14). These studies involved between one and six group art therapy sessions. Participants reported:

• a reduction in stress (14, 15, 17)
• feeling more support or connection with each other (16, 17)
• managing difficult feelings better (14, 16) and other positive effects.

Why art therapy may be helpful 

Approaching the end of life brings emotional distress for people and their loved ones, and art therapy can be an important part of care for both (18, 19).

Art therapy can help both children and adults to express feelings that may be difficult to put into words but can begin to be communicated through artwork, bringing a sense of connection with others (7, 3, 11, 12, 13).

For the bereaved, artworks are a tangible reminder of the loved one, and seeing it, or in the case of a plaster cast of hands, touching it, can be a comfort (7, 10).

About the studies

Some studies looked at how people were feeling before and after an art therapy session. Some studies were qualitative, describing themes of what people said about art therapy. Some were detailed explanations of how the art therapist worked, giving a vivid sense of what they did and how people experienced it.

Only one study was a randomised controlled trial, and it was about art therapy for staff who provide end-of-life care (14). With studies that only look at art therapy, without comparing it to another therapy or activity, we cannot be sure that it was the art therapy that made the difference to people’s feelings of wellbeing. However, many people have reported it to be a helpful experience at a very difficult time.

Evidence sources

1. 1. What is end of life care?, Marie Curie

   2. Statistics about hospice care in each UK nation, Hospice UK

   3. Art therapy in a palliative care unit: symptom relief and perceived helpfulness in patients and their relatives (Collette N et al., 2021) A study in Spain with 83 cancer patients in a hospital palliative care unit, looking at participants’ wellbeing before and after art therapy sessions.
   4. Art therapy and social function in palliative care patients: a mixed method pilot study (Lefevre C et al., 2022) A study in France with 20 hospitalised palliative care patients, looking at wellbeing before and after art therapy sessions, and also a follow-up survey of seven bereaved families.
   5. Art therapy for terminal cancer patients in a hospice palliative care unit in Taiwan (Lin MH et al., 2012) A study in Taiwan with 177 terminal cancer patients in a hospice care unit, in most cases also involving a family member. Wellbeing was assessed before and after fine art appreciation and painting sessions.
   6. Art therapy among palliative care inpatients with advanced cancer (Rhondali W et al., 2013) A study in France with 12 palliative care inpatients involving measures before and after, and an interview.
   7. Portrait therapy: supporting client voices of self-identity (Carr SMD 2020) A UK-based art therapist’s description of separate work creating portraits of a man and a woman with life-limiting conditions, both at home and at a day hospice. The work was conducted over 12 weeks, and the portraits were exhibited in a gallery. 
   8.  “Art on behalf”: Introducing an accessible art therapy approach used in palliative care (Ganzon C et al., 2020) An art therapist in Australia describes creating art to the specifications of three different participants in hospital palliative care.
   9. Outcomes of collage art-based and narrative self-expression among home hospice caregivers. (Kaimal et al., 2020) A USA-based study with 14 people who provided care for a loved one who was receiving home hospice care. A single art therapy based session with a single session in which were asked to talk about their experiences of caring.
   10. Casting the spirit: a handmade legacy (Rutenberg M, 2008) A Canada-based art therapist’s description of working with three different patients in a hospital palliative care unit, along with a family member in each case.
   11. Art therapy as a psychosocial support in a child’s palliative care (Councill TD & Ramsey K, 2019) A USA-based art therapist’s description of working with a four-year-old boy with terminal cancer and his mother and sister in hospital over 18 months.
   12. But is it art therapy? Working with children with complex health conditions (Polihronis E, 2022) A UK-based art therapist’s description of working with a 10-year-old child with physical difficulties in home hospice care over 17 sessions.
   13. Art therapy in hospice: a catalyst for insight and healing (Safrai MB, 2013) A USA-based art therapist’s description of working with a 71-year-old man with terminal cancer in an end-of-life nursing facility, over 22 sessions.
   14. A novel mindful-compassion art-based therapy for reducing burnout and promoting resilience among healthcare workers: findings from a waitlist ransomized control trial (Ho AHY et al., 2021) A randomised controlled trial in Singapore, with 56 home hospice staff. A comparison was made between staff who attended six group sessions of compassion-focused art therapy and staff on the waiting list for the group.
   15. Case study of an art therapy-based group for work-related stress with hospice staff (Huet V., 2017) A UK-based study with six hospice staff attending three group sessions a month apart, with questionnaires before and after the three sessions, and six months later.
   16. A model for art therapy-based supervision for end-of-life care workers in Hong Kong (Potash JS et al., 2015) A Hong Kong based art therapist’s description of sessions with 69 end-of-life care workers over six weeks, including satisfaction ratings.
   17. The effectiveness of a collaborative art-making task on reducing stress in hospice caregivers (Salzano AT et al., 2013) A study in the USA involving 20 hospice staff making a team quilt, looking at their wellbeing before and after the group comparing this with their wellbeing before and after a routine team meeting.
   18. Massage, music, and art therapy in hospice: results of a national survey (Dain AS et al., 2015) A USA national survey of hospices inquiring whether they employed massage or arts therapists.
   19. Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about music therapy and art therapy. (Srolovitz M et al., 2022) A review of studies on music therapy and art therapy. 

Published: September 2025