Art therapy is blossoming in Singapore hospitals, offering solace to patients, but a crucial question lingers: Is it safe enough?
In Singapore, art therapy is becoming increasingly popular in hospitals. It's a way for patients to cope with the emotional and mental challenges of chronic illnesses, trauma, and emotional distress. But here's where it gets controversial: despite its growing use, the lack of official regulations raises serious concerns.
Since 2019, the number of referrals for art therapy has tripled in some hospitals. This surge reflects a growing awareness of mental health needs, but it also highlights a significant issue: the absence of regulations to protect vulnerable patients. Let's delve deeper into this fascinating yet complex topic.
How Art Therapy Helps
Art therapy, also known as art psychotherapy, is a form of psychological treatment. It uses art as a therapeutic process. Trained therapists guide patients to explore their emotions, process trauma, and improve their overall mental well-being through creative expression.
At Woodlands Hospital, art therapy is integrated into patient care, especially for those struggling with the emotional toll of their illnesses. For example, a senior patient battling diabetes, heart disease, and kidney issues found it difficult to engage with treatments. Doctors identified signs of depression and referred her to art therapy. These sessions are tailored to each patient to encourage holistic engagement with other treatments.
"For elderly patients, we use culturally relevant materials, like beans, beads, batik painting, and this will allow the patients to be cognitively stimulated," explains Ms. Roxanne Chew, a senior art therapist at Woodlands Hospital. This patient's experience mirrors a broader trend at the hospital, which opened at the end of 2023 and has seen a 25% increase in art therapy referrals since last year.
"I've seen growth in palliative care and patients in geriatrics, mainly dementia cases, as well. We are also seeing more growth with … renal cases, patients with medical conditions, and they are here for rehabilitation," Ms. Chew added.
Expanding into Mental Health Settings
The rise of art therapy is also noticeable in psychiatric care. The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) has seen an approximate 20% increase in art therapy sessions since 2023. IMH attributes this growth to increased exposure to research on art therapy, particularly through conferences and seminars.
"The benefit of art therapy is that it is widely applicable and relevant to many people from a wide range of ages, from children to even palliative care, because the modality primarily emphasizes both verbal and non-verbal approaches," says Ms. Yoko Choi, a senior art therapist at IMH's department of mood and anxiety. "So, even people who do not or cannot speak, they are welcome to receive art therapy and benefit from (it)."
At IMH, art therapy is offered to patients with various conditions, including major depression, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's also available for children with emotional dysregulation, behavioral challenges, and autism spectrum conditions.
Diverse Materials and Techniques
One commonly used medium at IMH is clay, which allows patients to process trauma through touch. This can activate memories in a safe manner, especially for patients who find verbal expression overwhelming. "Art therapy usually uses basic art materials, like drawing, painting … clay sculptures, soft fabrics or personal objects," Ms. Choi explains. These can include photographs or personal belongings like old clothes. For safety reasons, patients are not allowed to use sharp tools like scissors and penknives.
Busting Myths About Art Therapy
Despite its growing popularity, misconceptions about art therapy persist. One common myth is that patients must be skilled artists. "People generally don't know about art therapy because they think art means drawing and painting. (They think): ‘I'm not good at art, so I cannot benefit from this,’” says Ms. Choi.
Another myth is that art therapy is only for children. "People in general also think that this is for kids … but actually art psychotherapy is suitable for adults as well," Ms. Choi adds.
The Urgent Need for Regulation
As demand for art therapy grows, practitioners are increasingly concerned about the lack of regulation in Singapore. "Anybody can call themselves an art therapist," says Ms. Loo Hwee Hwee, principal art therapist and deputy head of the pediatric psychological services division at Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute at National University Hospital.
"When this profession is not regulated and protected, then anybody who may not have the experience, may not have the training … think that they can handle it," she explains. "At best, no harm done. But at worst … you could really make the person feel worse, because you're touching something very emotive." Professional art therapists are trained at the master’s level, with expertise in both art and psychology.
"A lot of people think that it's about art-making alone. Art therapy is not just about art making. It's also about the psychotherapy portion of it," Ms. Loo adds. Untrained practitioners may miss important emotional cues, especially in children. "A lot of artists think that they can do art therapy, but they don't have the psychological framework to what we are looking out for, and what are the themes that could surface from the artwork or even from picking the medium," Ms. Loo adds. "Somebody who is untrained, this will be all lost in translation, and we'll lose (the) opportunity to capture important things about what's going on with the child."
Some healthcare clusters have implemented safeguards to address these issues. At SingHealth, practitioners must hold a master’s degree in art therapy from a recognized institution. "There’s also close supervision for us … so that we ensure that all the sessions that are conducted are sound and beneficial to the people that we serve," says Ms. Emily Tan, master medical social worker and principal art therapist at the National Cancer Centre Singapore.
Ms. Tan believes that national regulation would strengthen public trust. She hopes art therapy will be recognized as an essential part of patient care, not just an add-on. "I think (patients) … can feel more confident … that they are seeing a professional or certified art therapist that's regulated by the nation," she adds.
What do you think? Do you believe art therapy should be regulated in Singapore? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
