Integrative art therapy for adolescents with depression

The genesis of art can be traced back to the early settlements of human race. An integral

component of the development of ancient and modem civilizations, art in its various

forms of tribal dances, tribal music and cave paintings played an important role in the

evolution of traditions and rituals in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, China,

Ancient Greece and Rome.

Ideas can be communicated through art in its simplest form. People used art to express

emotion and moods, responses and ideas, for relaxation and entertainments and as social

medium reflecting and reacting to social stimuli. It can sometime function as a social

medium to criticize the society. Arts incorporate visual arts which includes paintings,

sculpture, print making, photography and other visual media and performing arts which

includes music, theatre, film, dance and other performing arts.

Art is also used as a language of therapy to sort out the inner conflicts of an individual.

Art helps to understand the problems, which is difficult to communicate. And it has

been found that it can be used to workout children's emotional problems. Thus a branch

of Art therapy has emerged to deal with the emotional problems of children. Lately

different forms of art, like dance, music, painting and drama are used to deal with the

emotional problems and that is known as Integrative Art Therapy (lAT).