Evaluating a Single-Session Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Doodling Intervention for Regional School Teachers
Theresa van Lith, Eliza Connors, Patricia D. Isis
Art Therapy October 13, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2026.2717799 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 35 |
| Population | Regional school teachers in Victoria, Australia |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Doodling Intervention (MBAT-DI) |
| Duration | Two-hour online workshop |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | A two-hour online mindfulness-based art therapy doodling workshop was associated with improvements in state mindfulness, self-compassion, and classroom-management self-efficacy among 35 regional teachers, with greater gains in mindfulness decentering among more experienced teachers. The authors suggest this brief format may be a practical, time-efficient, and accessible approach to supporting teacher wellbeing. |
Abstract
Teacher wellbeing is essential for sustainable professional practice, yet regional educators face heightened stress and limited professional development access. This study examined a single-session Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Doodling Intervention (MBAT-DI) designed to strengthen teachers’ psychological resilience resources. Thirty-five regional teachers in Victoria, Australia participated in a two-hour online MBAT-DI workshop combining mindfulness practices with guided doodling exercises. A within-subjects design measured state mindfulness, self-compassion, and classroom-management self-efficacy. Following stable baseline scores, the intervention was associated with improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, and classroom-management self-efficacy, with greater gains in mindfulness decentering among more experienced teachers. Overall, the findings suggest that brief mindfulness-based art therapy doodling may provide a practical, time-efficient, and accessible approach to supporting the wellbeing of regional school teachers.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- What Do We Really Know About Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction? Psychosomatic Medicine 2002
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for elementary school teachers: a randomized controlled trial Frontiers in Education April 9, 2024
- Efficacy of a Single Session Mindfulness-based Art Therapy Doodle Intervention Art Therapy April 18, 2023
- Effectiveness of a School-Based Mindfulness and Art Therapy Group Program Art Therapy September 16, 2020