Resource Results

Hear from the authors of two upcoming Creative Forces-associated publications on this topic as they discuss support strategies ranging from clinically-based therapy interventions that address physical, emotional, and social needs to community-based engagement activities designed to promote social connection, resilience, creative expression, independence, and successful adaptation to civilian life.

Together, the findings justify continued growth of the program so that the nation’s military personnel, and families and caregivers, receive greater access to these therapies, as informed by best practices. This article was published on the Creative Forces National Resource Center on July 15, 2020 and updated on December 22, 2020. Individual sections on: I. Creative Arts Therapies PTSD and TBI Research, II. Creative Forces Clinical Research, III. Arts Therapy, IV. Music Therapy, V. Telehealth, and VI. Conclusion can be found under Insights.

July 2020 20-min video interview with Sr. Medical Military Advisory Sara Kass by Aimee Fullman Director of the National Resource Center.

The Chairman discusses the soon-to-be launched Creative Forces National Resource Center, an online portal for research and information about creative arts therapies.Podcast with transcript availble by following the link below.

Supporting a successful transition back into society, especially for those who have been injured as a result of their service, has been the focus of a healing arts partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Department of Defense since 2011.

About this issue: 

At the National Endowment for the Arts, we believe the arts have a unique ability to heal. Our investments reflect this belief: Over the past decade, the Arts Endowment has awarded $4.85 million in healing arts projects, which range from improving cognition and socialization of older adults through songwriting workshops, to mitigating the invisible wounds of war in service members and veterans through creative arts therapy. 

But we also know the arts can be a source of social healing, bridging divides among neighbors, and providing solace for communities ravaged by trauma. This is why we historically offer support following natural and man-made disasters, and why many of our projects take place in communities touched by challenges such as poverty, violence, or addiction.

Whether we are talking about individuals or communities, physically or emotionally, we know the arts have an important role in healing across the spectrum. In this issue of NEA Arts, we look forward to sharing the many ways the Arts Endowment promotes the good health and well-being of our nation.

Mary Anne Carter
Acting Chairman
National Endowment for the Arts

"Active-duty military service members have a significant risk of sustaining physical and psychological trauma resulting in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Within an interdisciplinary treatment approach at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, service members participated in mask making during art therapy sessions. This study presents an analysis of the mask-making experiences of service members (n = 370) with persistent symptoms from combat- and mission-related TBI, PTSD, and other concurrent mood issues. Data sources included mask images and therapist notes collected over a five-year period. The data were coded and analyzed using grounded theory methods. Findings indicated that mask making offered visual representations of the self related to individual personhood, relationships, community, and society. Imagery themes referenced the injury, relational supports/losses, identity transitions/questions, cultural metaphors, existential reflections, and conflicted sense of self. These visual insights provided an increased understanding of the experiences of service members, facilitating their recovery."