Impact of Art Therapy on Self-Reported Pain and Anxiety Scores of Patients Waiting to Be Seen in the Emergency Department

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Pain; Anxiety
• Interventions: Behavioral: Blank Paper and Pencil; Behavioral: Nature Coloring Packet; Behavioral: Geometric Shape Coloring Packet; Behavioral: Activity Book

• Registration Number: NCT05540106
• Lead Sponsor: Stony Brook University

Brief Summary

The objective of this research is to assess the effects of engaging in coloring activities on patients' self-reported pain and anxiety scores while they wait to be seen by a physician in an emergency department (ED). The current literature on patient visits in the ED highlights the significance of anxiety, stress, and frustration in patient experiences, especially when accounting for long wait times before the physician-patient encounter. The study will address this common problem by looking at the potential impact of nature-themed or geometric shape coloring activities on the ED patient experience as it relates to self-reported anxiety and pain scores. Given that long wait times are increasingly being reported across the country, this study may offer a possible meaningful low-budget, low-resource intervention which could be offered to patients.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-09-10
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-09-10
• Study First Posted: 2022-09-14
• Study Start: 2023-08-01
• Status Verified: 2025-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-27
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-02
• Primary Completion: 2025-12-01
• Study Completion: 2026-12-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 168

Inclusion Criteria

• Triage Pain Score > 3
• Age >18
• Able to provide informed consent
• English-speaking
• without concern for aggressive behavior
• Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 15
• Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) Score > 6

Exclusion Criteria

• Concern for aggression risk, including active concern for suicidal or homicidal ideations
• Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <15
• triage acuity requiring critical care evaluation

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Blank Paper and Pencil	Blank Paper and Pencil	-
Nature Coloring Packet	Nature Coloring Packet	-
Geometric Shape Coloring Packet	Geometric Shape Coloring Packet	-
Activity Book	Activity Book	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) Score	8 hours	Change in self-reported Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) Score following art therapy intervention (0-21, 21 = most anxious)
Numerical Pain Score	8 hours	Change in self-reported numerical pain score following art therapy intervention (0-10, 10 = the worst pain)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Color Selection	8 hours	Correlation between Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) Score or pain score and colors selected by patient to use during art therapy
Patient impression of activities	8 hours	Patient engagement (reported time packet used, recommendation for others to use)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Stony Brook University Hospital; 🇺🇸 Stony Brook, New York, United States