Background: Despite the known benefits of art therapy, there are a limited number of studies on art therapy for tic disorders. This pilot randomised controlled study investigated effects of art as a relaxation technique for tic disorders.
Methods: Twenty-two children aged 7-9 years were randomly allocated to art intervention (n= 11) and control (n= 11) groups. Pre- and post-test measurements included the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and Hassles Scale for Children (HSC).
Results: Art as relaxation significantly decreased the YGTSS total score, motor tic frequency, motor tic intensity, motor tic complexity, vocal tic complexity, and total daily stressors compared to the control group. The intervention group showed significantly greater physiological relaxation, as indicated by increases in HRV parameters.
Conclusions: Art appears to be an effective relaxation technique for tic disorders. Extensive research is necessary for rigorous examination of its effectiveness.
Keywords: Tic disorders; art therapy; heart rate variability; relaxation; stress.