The Role of Art Therapy in Strengthening the Psychological Immunity of Pre-service Teachers: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Background: There are growing academic, emotional and professional expectations for pre-service teachers which can impact their resilience, stress tolerance and psychological health. Art therapy may provide a creative approach for strengthening psychological resources linked with psychological immunity. The purpose of this systematic literature search was to explore the significance of art therapy to the study of the connection between stress coping, resilience outcomes, and psychological immunity in the context of pre-service teachers and other education-related populations.

Methods: Literature published between 2010 and 2025 was searched in Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. A narrative synthesis of the 21 studies eligible for the synthesis was conducted to determine their methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools.

Results: Being associated with art-based interventions when moderates were included through the total group analysis, participants reported lower levels of stress and anxiety and increased emotional awareness, self-efficacy, problem-solving, social connection, and some measures of resilience. Strategies that were structured and repetition, multimodal, mindfulness and group-based were promising but there was little direct evidence with pre-service teachers. The benefits showed different along the interventions, type of participants, measures, and follow-up periods. Conclusion: While art therapy may have an impact on psychological resources which are related to psychological immunity, risks are identified of no direct causal impact. The effectiveness, durability, and implementation of this approach needs to be more rigorously tested with pre-service teachers, especially in special and inclusive education.