research

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Therapy has been a cornerstone of Mia's life since third grade. When she was younger she was drawn to coloring books and would color for entire sessions while talking to her therapist. Mia wanted to learn more about how coloring impacted herself and others, so she decided to conduct an interview with her therapist regarding this subject. 

Q: Have you used coloring books during therapy sessions? If so, in what instance have you used them?

A: Yes, and I use them in any instance, whether it be anxiety, depression, or separately through art therapy sessions. 

Q: What effects have you found coloring to have on your patients?

A: The people I work with are put in a more creative space which relaxes them and makes it easier to communicate with me. It engages them and makes them more present in the moment, especially if they enjoy coloring already. 

Q: How efficient is coloring in causing these effects? 

A: If the person is naturally artistic and enjoys coloring already, it is more efficient on that kind of individual than a young kid who has an attention disorder and can’t sit still. So depending on the type of person, coloring can be beneficial and allow the person to become more centered, or it can deepen frustration and anger if the person has behavioral issues. 

Q: Does coloring produce different effects than other types of therapy?

A: Art therapy is different because it is nonverbal, so it’s good with people who have speaking difficulties or language barriers. It has similar effects to psychodramas, and can allow people to focus their emotions such as anger or sadness into a creative form that is wordless. 

Q: Have you seen a difference in the effect of coloring on children versus adults?

A: There is a difference! Younger kids typically have a shorter attention span and may not know how to hold a crayon. This can lead to frustration and can be a teachable moment between the patient and I. With adults, coloring is much more standardized and may not be as enjoyable as it would be for a teenager or young adult. Again, it really depends on the individual, but that’s typically what I have observed.

Everyone is different. For some, coloring may be beneficial, and for others it may not be. The ideal way to cope with the stressors of life differs from person to person, but there are many positive outcomes of coloring. 

In 2005, a study was performed to determine how effective different methods of coloring were on anxiety reduction. It was hypothesized that there would be larger reductions in anxiety for individuals who colored a mandala or plaid pattern than for those who free-form colored a blank sheet of paper due to the complexity of the design, which would help ease anxiety. The anxiety levels of eighty-four adults (aged 18-22) were tested three separate times: initially, after anxiety induction, and after coloring one of three randomly assigned treatments (plaid design, mandala, or plant sheet of paper). It was determined that after twenty minutes of coloring their specific treatments, the subjects coloring mandalas or the plaid design displayed anxiety levels below what was recorded initially while those coloring on blank sheets of paper yielded no decrease in anxiety.

This supported the hypothesis, but why? Coloring on a blank sheet of paper provides no support nor guidance; the individual has to think about what to draw and come up with a plan of action as to how to get there. Trying to reduce your own anxiety with no outside help may perpetuate and intensify negative feelings rather than dissipating them. It can be difficult to develop your own structure when the foundation is crumbling, which is why free-form coloring is not beneficial in reducing anxiety. Both the mandala and plaid design treatments provided a structured coloring experience with direction to guide the subjects through the task. There was no outside thinking or planning going into the activity besides which colors to use and where to fill in the lines, allowing the subject to focus solely on the act of coloring. For these reasons, mandalas and other designs can help alleviate anxiety by entering the individual into a meditative state free of deep thought or stress. 

Besides helping to reduce anxiety, coloring has also been shown to

• decrease the symptoms of physical illness,
• help individuals suffering from depression, addictions and trauma,
• lower blood pressure,
• boost the immune system and stimulate melatonin release, 
• and help children develop emotionally and cope with illness.