Telehealth in arts therapies for neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders: a scoping review
2024

Telehealth in Arts Therapies for Neurodevelopmental and Neurological Disorders

Sample size: 17 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Ērika Reitere, Jana Duhovska, Vicky Karkou, Kristīne Mārtinsone

Primary Institution: Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia

Hypothesis

This study aims to map the existing body of literature to provide an in-depth overview of telehealth in arts therapies for individuals with neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders.

Conclusion

Telehealth in arts therapies significantly benefits individuals with neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders, improving accessibility and providing psychological, emotional, social, and cognitive benefits.

Supporting Evidence

  • Seventeen telehealth studies published between 2009 and March 2024 were included.
  • Music therapy was the most widely studied modality.
  • Positive benefits included psychological enrichment, social connectivity, cognitive improvements, and brain changes.

Takeaway

This study shows that using arts therapies through telehealth can help people with brain and development issues feel better and connect with others, even if they can't go to in-person therapy.

Methodology

This scoping review followed the PRISMA guidelines and systematically searched six databases, screening 2,888 articles for eligibility.

Potential Biases

Potential positive-results bias may exist as all studies reported positive outcomes.

Limitations

The review did not systematically evaluate the quality of the included studies and was restricted to articles written in English.

Participant Demographics

Participants ranged in age from 4 to 87 years, representing a diverse demographic.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1484726

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