Impacts of Baking as Art Therapy on Stress and Anxiety in Adults

Research Open House 2021

Jasmine Cho, MPS Art Therapy and Creativity Development ‘22

Dr. Jennifer Roth, Carlow University, Co-Primary Investigator and Supervisor

School of Art, Creative Arts Therapy

In 2019, I conducted an interdisciplinary research study that approached baking as a potential form of art therapy and measured its impacts on stress and anxiety in adults. Anxiety was measured via the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, and we measured stress by collecting saliva samples to analyze cortisol levels. The study showed that both self-reported anxiety and salivary cortisol levels significantly decreased after baking-as-art activities.

Kitchen space where research sessions were held — Prepared for the baking and research session

I plan to expand upon this study for my master’s thesis in Art Therapy and Creativity Development and argue that baking can be used as a therapeutic process in art therapy.