A Review of Selected Research on the Use of Art Therapy in Working with Refugee and Immigrant Children

Abstract

This article presents an overview of research on the importance and effectiveness of art therapy methods in immigrant and refugee children. The literature on the subject indicates an increased risk of problems in the area of both mental and physical health in immigrants and their children. Refugees and their children are in a particularly difficult situation because, in addition to the challenges of adapting to a new place of settlement, they also experience trauma related to the country of origin. Among the therapeutic interactions and work with refugee and immigrant children, art therapy has a special place. The article adopts a broad definition of it, according to which it is “all forms and methods of therapeutic assistance in which various fields of art are used: painting, drawing, literature, music, dance, drama”. A review of studies examining the importance of art therapy in the context of improving psychological functioning in various age groups of immigrant and refugee children is presented. It turns out that the therapeutic impact with the use of art may be important in the context of coping for dealing with the problems experienced by these groups of people.