Creative arts therapy for kids with cancer
CREATe: Clinical Research Examining the Arts as Therapy in children with cancer
This project offers short creative arts sessions during treatment to see if they help 8–13-year-old children with cancer feel less distress and have better quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11237109 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We will first run art focus groups with children who match the future trial participants to design a clear, repeatable arts program. Then 60 children ages 8–13 in their first year of cancer treatment will be randomly assigned to either four 30-minute creative arts sessions or matched video-watching sessions delivered during scheduled treatment over 12 weeks. Patient-reported questionnaires about symptoms and quality of life will be collected to check whether the program is acceptable, feasible, and shows promising effects. The goal is to create a standardized, scalable arts therapy option that could be used during routine care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children ages 8–13 who are within the first year of cancer treatment and can attend sessions during their scheduled treatment visits are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Very young children outside the 8–13 age range, adults, or anyone unable to participate in in-person sessions likely would not benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer an easy-to-deliver way to reduce distress, pain, and improve quality of life for children during cancer treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Small pilot studies and adult work suggest creative arts and art-making can improve quality of life and reduce symptoms, but rigorous randomized trials in children are limited.
Where this research is happening
Portland, United States
- Oregon Health & Science University — Portland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Raybin, Jennifer L — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Raybin, Jennifer L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.