Asploro Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Case Reports

Asploro Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Case Reports

Miyoko Kimoto¹, Hiroshi Bando^1,2iD*, Akiyo Yoshioka¹, Hirohisa Urasaki¹, Masahiro Bando^1,2, Yu Nishikiori¹
¹New Elderly Association (NEA) Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
²Medical Research/Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan

Corresponding Author: Hiroshi Bando ^{ORCID iD}
Address: Tokushima University /Medical Research, Nakashowa 1-61, Tokushima 770-0943, Japan.
Received date: 09 June 2025; Accepted date: 07 July 2025; Published date: 15 July 2025

Citation: Kimoto M, Bando H, Yoshioka A, Urasaki H, Bando M, Nishikiori Y. Beneficial Art Therapy in Hospital Art for the Elderly by Masking Tape. Asp Biomed Clin Case Rep. 2025 Jul 15;8(2):129-32.

Copyright © 2025 Kimoto M, Bando H, Yoshioka A, Urasaki H, Bando M, Nishikiori Y. This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords: Hospital Art, Art Therapy, Masking Tape, Artworks, Hinohara-Ism

Abstract

Art and expression in hospital settings have attracted attention for their potential to heal both body and soul. In the early 20th century, psychiatrists began to show interest in exploring artworks created by patients. Several hospital art programs were initiated in the 1990s, focusing primarily on hospital-based art. Art therapy may help improve emotions and mood, particularly in relation to patient communication and social interaction. Among various methods, the clinical use of art in hospitals using masking tape has gained attention, especially for its application in rehabilitation. This method can produce impressive artworks that benefit the elderly, aligning with the profound philosophy of Hinohara-ism, which promotes practical life maxims.

Commentary

For several centuries, art and expression have been in discussion as a method of treatment [1]. Human beings have always shown certain expression for healing in body and soul. By recognizing its evolutionary role for the art, we can give a foundation for how art could be used for enhancing our health [2]. As the foundation of art therapy practice, the application of knowledge may exist about human social, emotional and behavioral development for long. Its root of the discipline could be traced back to the early 1900’s [3]. Regardless of clinical use for long, it is not easy to identify the empirical evidence for clinical effectiveness.

In the early 20^th century, psychiatrists started to show interest in exploring some artworks for patients with mental diseases. Then, the natural progression of art was observed for a therapeutic method, leading to the profession of art therapy. In the early 1990’s, several hospital programs began in university medical centers of Michigan, Washington, Florida, and Duke. These programs were mainly hospital arts (arts in the hospitals) for putting some arts on the hospital walls. The purpose was to make and change the hospital environment into enhancing healing spaces [4].

The power of art therapy may help human beings by providing healing measurements in a variety of aspects. Firstly, the aesthetic work quality can elevate human mood, improve self-awareness, and elevate self-esteem. Secondly, it can provide relaxing physiological evidence, such as decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration, leading to feeling comfortable during the activity. Their focused attention can lead to an ideal situation like meditation. Thirdly, the art making period can give a good chance for fascinating movement of their hands, eyes and thinking of a good idea. Such experience will stimulate brain and neurological activities, preventing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) [5].

The significant connection between art and the healing process would be beneficial to human well-being that showed the evidence through positive emotional influences in response to the exposition of the art. When people are engaged with some artistic activities, they show improved emotion and mood associated with their creative efforts for the art [6]. Art therapy has a beneficial effect not only in clinical situations but also in community settings. In the light of clinical sense, art therapy has positive influences in helping patients to understand themselves, and also helping them to understand their human relationships with people around them in their lives. Thus, art expression may serve to be a crucial tool in developing another way to evoke their judgement. Consequently, art expression will allow their deep emotion to come out through the artwork itself.

For the elderly people, the activity of art therapy to communicate and process several related complex events in their lives can open a new world. The area would bring much satisfaction with unexpected surprise. As a novel measurement to improve the daily lives of the elderly who have felt loneliness and isolation so far, such art therapy will provide some benefits that were not experienced before [7]. The elderly tend to have clinical and psychosomatic problems of depression, hopelessness, feeling of loss and lack of mobility. Consequently, art therapy could immediately serve clinical efficacy of healing from a psychosomatic point of view among the elderly people. In particular, those who participate in the activity in the art group and crafting classes. By vigorously engaging in creative activities, the elderly will access earlier positive feelings and memories, that can foster a sense of value and self-worth.

Art therapy can become an extremely effective method for the elderly people, since it can function as a vehicle for the release of human emotion which accompanies thoughts of despair stemming from the aloneness. For the elderly who always feels isolated, expressing oneself in a way which keeps the connection and independence with positive changes [8]. Associated with engaging in some activities of expressive art, the psychological situation of an elderly will be better as they take part in the creative art activities. As the elderly remain in a creative direction with a positive mood, they will move away from their loneliness and isolation, and attend the involvement of friendship and socialization.

Artistic expression can help people in itself to learn about themselves in their deeper mind. By continuing the emotional process through art, their insight will be accessed with leading to effective healing. Since art therapy has various usages, it can be accessed adequately by the elderly, adults, and children. Art therapy would be important for mental health where a cross-cultural situation can be found [9]. Furthermore, art therapy can be applied to different people and different interventions, and then such interventions will provide people with various creative novel approaches in itself.

A certain approach for promoting the effect of art therapy would be providing the client a good chance to explore the cultural aesthetic with embracing self-esteem in a cross-cultural setting [10]. Beneficial enhancement of art therapy will be obtained by exploring the cultural connection. Such kind of situation would be brought by a non-verbal sense. Thus, it seems to be more important for the art therapist to facilitate the cultural sensitivity. Art therapy is to tap into hidden or stuck areas of the clients. Consequently, it stimulates the imagination and gives them the opportunity to expand their creativity and generate new experiences. The clients are in essence actively participating in their healing. Art therapy has been very effective due to its non-verbal characteristics. By engaging verbally, non-verbally, and visually, clients can always incorporate certain cognitive elements to what they have already physically created.

The art in hospitals was initiated in the early 1980s [11]. As the satisfaction and well-being of the patients, the guideline for hospital arts was developed [12]. Authors and collaborators have continued hospital arts so far [13]. By beautiful masking tapes, several activities have stimulated brain and fingers, leading to well-beings of the elderly [14]. The latest artworks by an 80s female are shown in Fig-1. She has been a member of the New Elderly Association (NEA) established by the esteemed Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara with the Hinohara-ism philosophy educating practical maxims [15].

Fig-1: Artworks for Hospital Arts by Masking Tapes

In summary, general perspectives of art therapy and hospital art were described. It would contribute much for the daily lives of the elderly people. This article is expected to be useful for future medical, artistic, and social development.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Funding

There was no funding received for this paper.

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