| Author Country | Design setting | Participants | Age (years) | Task | Course instructor | Assessment points | Outcomes and instruments | Results |
| Hammer et al. [12] Denmark | Qualitative study Setting: gynecologic department of hospital | Patients with gynecologic cancer N = 15 | Range: 24 - 87 Median: m = 52 | One session after interviewing | Not mentioned |
| Hope | All participants experienced hope |
| Bar-Sela et al. [13] Israel | A non-randomized controlled trial Setting: oncology department of the hospital | Cancer patients on chemotherapy N = 60 N1 = 19 (intervention group, patients who participated with equal or more than 4 sessions) N2 = 41 (control group, patients who participated with equal or less than 2 sessions) | Range: 25 - 72 Median: m1 = 55 m2 = 55 | An weekly painting therapy, without mention of total sessions | More than one art therapist | before each session | 1) HADS measuring depression and anxiety 2) BFI measuring fatigue | Improvements of depression (P = 0.021) and fatigue (P = 0.24) in the intervention group |
| Bozcuk et al. [14] Turkey | A non-randomized controlled trial Setting: outpatient chemotherapy unit and home | Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy N = 72 N1 = 48 (intervention group) N2 = 24 (control group) | Range: 22 - 73 Mean: M = 50.6 | A 12-week course. The first 6 weeks were to get known the details of this study, and the next 6 weeks were offered painting therapy | An experienced art therapist | t1: before intervention t2: after completing the intervention | 1) EORTC QLQ-C30 measuring QOL 2) HADS measuring anxiety and depression | Significant improvements of QOL (P = 0.001) and depression (P = 0.001) in the intervention group |
| Geue et al. [15] Germany | A non-randomized controlled trial Setting: psychosocial counseling center in hospital | Patients with haematological malignancies N = 183 N1 = 54 (intervention group) N2 = 129 (control group) | Range: ≥18 Mean: M1 = 51.50 M2 = 53.45 | 22 weekly 90-min sessions | An artist receiving psycho- oncological training and evaluation | t1: before intervention t2: upon completing intervention t3: 6 months after t2 | 1) FQCI measuring coping with illness 2) PACIS measuring coping with illness 3) HADS measuring distress | No effect on participants’ psychological distress and coping behavior |
| Geue et al. [16] Germany | A non-randomized controlled trial Setting: psychosocial counseling center in hospital | Cancer patients N = 53 N1 = 22 (less distressed) N2 = 31 (highly distressed) | Range: ≥18 Mean: M1 = 50 M2 = 53 | 22 weekly 90-min sessions | An artist receiving psycho- oncological training | t1: before intervention t2: after completing the intervention t3: 6-months after t2 | EORTC QLQ-C30 measuring QOL | No effect on QOL on participants but improvements of role, emotional and social functioning and fatigue in the group of highly distressed patients |