Effects of Art Therapy on Symptoms and Spiritual Well-Being in Hemodialysis

February 9, 2026 updated by: Seda Pehlivan, Uludag University

The Effect of Art Therapy Applied During Hemodialysis on Dialysis Symptoms and Spiritual Well-Being: A Randomised Controlled Study

Hemodialysis patients are confronted with a wide range of symptoms that adversely affect their daily functioning. Nurses hold a pivotal role in assessing these symptoms and their consequences, and in implementing evidence-based interventions aimed at enhancing patient well-being. This study designed to examine the effect of art therapy administered during hemodialysis on dialysis-related symptoms and spiritual well-being. This study aims to reduce hemodialysis symptoms and enhance spiritual well-being in patients undergoing hemodialysis by diverting their attention through non-invasive, non-pharmacological interventions such as art therapy. Art therapy is a type of therapy designed to connect patients to life, facilitate their integration into society, and increase their self-respect and self-confidence by developing their skills. Art therapy practices increase a person's mental well-being by reducing anxiety and stress. Studies using art therapy have found that both patients and their caregivers experience an increase in quality of life. However, there are no studies in the literature examining the symptoms experienced by patients during hemodialysis and their effect on spiritual well-being. The research will be conducted on patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment, and patients in the experimental group will receive at least 30 minutes of art therapy during each dialysis session. Data obtained before the start of the study, after 4 weeks of application, and 4 weeks after the end of the application will be compared with the control group data. In addition to its scientific contribution, it is thought that effective symptom management may contribute to the well-being of patients.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Kütahya, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Kütahya Health Sciences University Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • undergoing hemodialysis treatment
  • volunteering to participate in the study
  • fluency in Turkish
  • mental competence
  • the ability to use their hands effectively

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Five non-Turkish-speaking foreign patients
  • 15 patients were excluded due to lack of voluntary participation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Art Therapy
Patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment participated in art therapy sessions three times a week for four weeks during their hemodialysis treatment.
Other: art therapy
Art Therapy
No Intervention: Control Group
Patients in this group did not undergo any intervention and received standard treatment and care during hemodialysis.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dialysis Syptoms
Time Frame: The scale was administered at baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, and 8 weeks post-intervention.
The Dialysis Symptom Inventory (DSI) was used, validated and tested for reliability in Turkish by Önsöz and Usta Yeşilbalkan (2013) based on Weisbord et al. (2004). Test scores ranged from 30 to 150, with higher scores indicating more prevalent and stronger symptoms.
The scale was administered at baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, and 8 weeks post-intervention.
Spiritual Well-Being
Time Frame: The scale was administered at baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, and 8 weeks post-intervention.
The Spiritual Well-Being (SWB) Scale, developed by Breedle and colleagues (2011) and validated and reliability tested in Turkish by Ekşi and Kardaş (2017), was used. It is a five-point Likert-type scale consisting of 12 items. The score obtained from the spiritual well-being scale ranges from 0 to 48. A higher score indicates that patients have a high level of spiritual well-being.
The scale was administered at baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, and 8 weeks post-intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient Satisfaction
Time Frame: The form was administered 4 weeks post-intervention.
The patient satisfaction form for art therapy, developed by the researchers, consists of 8 items. The form includes questions regarding prior participation in art therapy activities and patients' perceptions of the researcher's conduct during the intervention. In the last question of this form, patients were asked to rate their satisfaction level on a scale of 0-10. A high score indicates high satisfaction.
The form was administered 4 weeks post-intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Uludag University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Seda Pehlivan, Associate Professor, Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 2, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 887076

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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