The Effectiveness of Art Therapy on Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is a debilitating condition plaguing 3-7% of individuals today (Lampe, 2005). Despite the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in treating this condition, only 19% of social anxiety sufferers seem to seek out treatment (Lampe, 2005). Art therapy is a new form of treatment that provides a method of using art to help patients express their feelings. This form of therapy is particularly useful for patients who struggle to express themselves verbally (Crespo, 2003). Very little research has been done on the effects of art therapy on social anxiety disorder. In fact, much of the research in general about art therapy is limited. As a result, I plan to test the effectiveness of art therapy on social anxiety disorder against cognitive behavioral therapy which is already well established. 200 total participants will be studied. 100 will receive six months of cognitive behavioral therapy and 100 will receive six months of art therapy. Pages: 22-27