During the 1930s, art therapy was formally organized, and since then, many forms of this therapy have been used to help people with mental illness. As a result, patients are able to express their feelings, and medical specialists can more easily evaluate the severity of their illnesses. In addition, art therapy can also help patients deal with the side effects of common medications, such as anxiety and depression.

Psychiatrists have researched the relationship between illness and art, and have found that patients who use art therapy experience decreased anxiety, depression, and self-consciousness. The practice also helps patients develop positive emotional expressions of their own.
Several studies have examined the effectiveness of art therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia. Most studies have been conducted on individual art therapy sessions. In these sessions, the person creating the artwork has the option to work with a therapist who guides them through the process. The artwork is then viewed and discussed, helping the patient to better understand their feelings.

Another study evaluated the effect of group art therapy on schizophrenic patients. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Standard Care, Group Art Therapy, or Activity Groups. The groups consisted of eight participants, and each session lasted 90 minutes. They were co-facilitated by a trained volunteer and a staff member. Each session was followed by a 30-minute shared viewing time. The last 30 minutes were reserved for participants to discuss their art and discuss the experience of the session. If you too are interested you must browse the website.

The study centres were located in four UK locations. Each center served a diverse population, including a mix of urban and inner-city residents. The centres were staffed by a team of registered and experienced art therapists. These therapists provided individual and group supervision to the groups. The supervisors were given guidelines on how to respond to adverse events, and provided guidance on the process of each session. They were also reviewed by a senior practitioner each month. The proforma was extracted from each center.

The results showed that patients who participated in group Art Therapy were more likely to feel good about themselves. They also had better social competence and a stronger sense of self. These benefits were sustained for 10-weeks following the end of the study. However, patients who received Art Therapy alone did not report significantly lower negative symptoms.

The "gold standard" research has found that art therapies have a small therapeutic effect for positive and negative symptoms. These effects are attributed to a combination of factors, including the patient's autonomy and the fact that the patients are engaging in the artistic process.
There are some limitations to this type of research. For example, the measure of change is difficult to assess in a clinical setting. This is because many data are lost due to poor reporting and inappropriate use of scales. The data from these studies are not directly comparable, because of this. As a result, a more detailed investigation of the mechanism of art therapy is necessary.