Art therapy lifts hope in schizophrenia patients, small study finds
NCT ID NCT07453355
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether an eight-session expressive arts therapy program could increase hope in 50 hospitalized adults with schizophrenia. Participants in the therapy group showed significantly higher hope scores compared to those receiving standard care alone. The findings suggest that creative activities like drawing and storytelling may support emotional recovery, but larger studies are needed to confirm the results.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- expressive arts therapy (drawing, collage, storytelling, metaphor work)
- What this could lead to
- If this approach proves effective in larger studies, it could offer a simple, non-drug way to improve hope and emotional well-being for people with schizophrenia.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, single-site study with only 50 participants. The results may not apply to all people with schizophrenia, and the long-term benefits are unknown.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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50 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Finished
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Jan 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria * Diagnosis of schizophrenia according to clinical evaluation * Age between 18 and 65 years * Hospitalized in a psychiatric inpatient unit * At least six months since diagnosis * Ability to read and understand assessment tools * Clinically stable without acute psychotic symptoms * Provided written informed consent Exclusion Criteria * Severe cognitive impairment * Acute psychotic symptoms requiring intensive treatment * Severe physical illness preventing participation * Refusal to participate or withdrawal of consent
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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samsun Mental Health Hospital
Atakent, Samsun, 55200, Turkey (Türkiye)
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.