An observational study in Emotional Distress, Pain and Anxiety, sponsored by Nova Scotia Health Authority. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-17.
Sponsored by Nova Scotia Health Authority · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to explore whether a single art therapy session can improve mood and reduce symptom burden in adult palliative care patients at a Canadian inpatient unit. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Participants will:
This is a single-centre, prospective, observational pre-post study conducted at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, VG, 7A Palliative Care Unit. The aim is to evaluate whether a one-time, individualized art therapy session can positively impact emotional well-being and symptom distress in adults receiving inpatient palliative care.
Participants will be approached by the charge nurse and invited to participate if they meet the eligibility criteria. Following informed consent, participants will complete two validated self-report tools: the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). These assessments will be administered immediately before and again immediately after a 30-60 minute art therapy session, which will include open-ended creative engagement using simple materials such as watercolor and pastels.
The Study Objectives are:
All data will be de-identified and analyzed descriptively and inferentially to assess trends in mood and symptom change following the intervention. This study does not involve randomization or a control group. It is designed to inform future research and program development in supportive care interventions within palliative settings.
10,054 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 1,649 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 20 is below the median of 100 across 1,252 observational studies indexed under Pain.
Browse Pain studies →Nova Scotia Health Authority is the lead sponsor of 264 studies on the registry; 79 are open to participants now.
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Palliative Care In-Patients at the VG, 7A Palliative Care Unit
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Each participant will engage in a 30-60 minute structured art therapy session using pre-drawn coloring sheets featuring themes such as mandalas, nature scenes, and inspirational designs. A variety of coloring tools will be provided, including crayons, colored pencils, markers, gel pens, and watercolor paints. Sessions will be facilitated by the primary investigator, who will provide non-directive prompts and engage in casual conversation to foster comfort and engagement.
Also known as: Visual arts therapy, Expressive arts
Change in Positive and Negative Affect Scores Measured by PANAS Before and After Art Therapy
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) will be administered immediately before and immediately after a single art therapy session. PANAS is a self-reported 20-item scale measuring two mood domains: positive affect (10 items) and negative affect (10 items). Each item is rated on a scale from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely), with subscale scores ranging from 10 to 50. Higher positive affect scores indicate more positive mood; higher negative affect scores indicate more distress.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the art therapy session
Change in Symptom Burden Measured by Modified ESAS Before and After Art Therapy
The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) will be used to assess physical and emotional symptom burden immediately before and immediately after the art therapy session. ESAS consists of 9 core symptoms (e.g., pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, depression) each rated on a numeric scale from 0 (none) to 10 (worst possible severity). A total symptom score is calculated as the sum of all items, with higher scores indicating greater symptom burden. We will be using a modified version that does not include nausea, drowsiness, loss of appetite and dyspnea. The symptom "sadness" will be added to our assessment.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the art therapy session
Changes in PRN Opioid Use in the 48 Hours Before and After Art Therapy
The total dosage (mg), number of doses, medication type, and route of administration of PRN opioid medications (e.g., hydromorphone, morphine) will be extracted from the medical chart for each participant for the 48 hours before and the 48 hours after the art therapy session. Data will be converted to oral morphine equivalents as applicable. Data will be analyzed to assess changes in frequency or total daily dose following the intervention.
Time frame: 48 hours before and 48 hours after the art therapy session
Changes in PRN Benzodiazepine and Z-Drug Use in the 48 Hours Before and After Art Therapy
The total dosage (mg), number of doses, medication type, and route of administration of PRN benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam) and Z-drugs (e.g., zopiclone) will be recorded from participant medical charts for the 48 hours before and after the art therapy session. Data will be analyzed to assess changes in frequency or total daily dose following the intervention.
Time frame: 48 hours before and 48 hours after the art therapy session
Plan to share: No
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