Key words: art-therapy, psychosocial rehabilitation, psychiatry, psychosis, art
The relationship between art and psychiatry is a long-standing one, although a specific role of art-therapy in psychiatric settings began to be specifically recognized only in the XIX century and then consolidated with the advent of psychotherapies that recognized a central role of nonverbal communication within the therapeutic process. The art-therapies are currently conceptualized as forms of psychotherapy employing artistic media (painting, dance, theatre, music etc.) as a expressive and receptive communication modalities. In Italy, along the XX century there has been a growing diffusion of art-therapies as rehabilitation techniques. Although the currently available empirical evidence suggests a relevant role for art-therapies in psychiatry, especially for patients with psychosis and prevailing negative symptoms, it is still unclear the role and impact of art-therapies in psychiatric rehabilitation. For these reasons, it seems timely to illustrate the status artis of psychiatric rehabilitation employing graphic arts, music therapy, dance-movement therapy and drama therapy in Italy. This review aimed to provide a critical overview of the basic concepts of art-therapy, to elucidate the current rehabilitative paradigms and to review the available evidence related to the use of the most practiced art-therapy in Italy.