December 12, 2025 · The Journal

 

How Painting and the Arts Help Protect Young 
People from Suicide

Every conversation about suicide prevention needs compassion, clarity, and evidence. One promising, human-centered approach is creative arts — especially painting — which gives young people ways to express, connect, and heal when words alone can’t cover what they feel. Below I explain how and why art can help, summarize the scientific evidence, describe practical ways schools and communities can use painting, and offer resources for anyone who needs immediate help.

Why art matters: the emotional mechanics

Young people often struggle to name or talk about overwhelming feelings. Painting and other visual arts work differently than talk therapy: they let people externalize inner experiences into color, shape, texture, and story. That externalization can:

  • Give immediate relief from emotional intensity by creating a “safe distance” between the person and their pain.

  • Provide a nonverbal language for trauma, shame, or confusion that’s hard to speak about.

  • Strengthen a sense of agency — making art is doing something active, not just feeling something passive.

  • Build identity and future-orientation: imagining and painting a “future self” or hopeful scene helps counter hopelessness.

These are not just poetic claims — health agencies and researchers highlight the arts’ unique capacity to access emotions and build resilience. World Health Organization+1

What the research says (short summary)

Research on arts-based interventions and suicide prevention is still growing, but the literature is promising:

  • A systematic review focused specifically on arts-based programs for suicide prevention and survivorship found that arts activities—ranging from theatre to visual arts—have been used successfully in prevention programs and may increase help-seeking and connection among participants. While study designs vary, the review concluded the arts are a promising component of community-level prevention. SAGE Journals

  • Other systematic reviews and recent trials show art therapy and structured arts interventions can reduce depressive symptoms, anxiety, and psychological distress in children and adolescents—key risk factors for suicidal thinking. These improvements in mood and coping are the pathways by which arts programs may lower suicide risk. PMC+1

  • Performing and creative-arts programs that focus on storytelling, future-oriented imagery, or peer sharing have been used in suicide prevention initiatives (for example, school or community programs) and can strengthen social bonds and gatekeeper skills — both crucial protective factors. PMC+1

Important caveat: many studies are small, use different designs, or measure different outcomes (well-being, depressive symptoms, help-seeking), so more rigorous trials are needed to prove direct reductions in suicide deaths. Still, improving mood, social connectedness, and coping skills are well-established ways to lower risk — and arts programs appear to help on those fronts. SAGE Journals+1

How painting helps — practical mechanisms

Below are concrete ways painting can protect a young person at risk:

  1. Emotional regulation through process: applying paint, mixing colors, and focusing on brushwork calms the nervous system for many people — similar to grounding exercises used in therapy. This immediate regulation reduces impulsivity and emotional overwhelm. PMC

  2. Nonverbal expression of trauma and shame: painting lets someone show what they can’t say. Therapists report breakthroughs when an image reveals a feeling that opens conversation and compassionate response. ScienceDirect+1

  3. Meaning-making and future orientation: exercises that ask young people to paint a future scene, a strength, or a safe place can shift focus from hopelessness to possibility — an important cognitive shift in suicide prevention. ScienceDirect

  4. Social connection and belonging: group painting sessions and community art projects create peer support, reduce isolation, and normalize help-seeking. Feeling seen and valued by peers is protective. SAGE Journals

  5. Skill-building and agency: learning techniques and completing artworks builds competence and self-esteem, making it easier to tolerate setbacks rather than feeling trapped by them. PMC

Examples of effective formats

Programs that have shown promise include:

  • Clinician-led art therapy: a licensed art therapist integrates painting into therapy, targeting depression, trauma, and suicidal ideation. This is best for high-risk youth who need clinical care. PMC

  • School or community workshops: structured short programs (creativity camps, future-image workshops) that teach painting skills while facilitating peer discussion and psychoeducation. These can reach many young people and reduce stigma. SpringerLink+1

  • Peer-led art groups and drop-in studios: lower-intensity, accessible spaces where teens can create, share, and be listened to. These are good for outreach and building connection. SAGE Journals

  • Hybrid digital + physical projects: online challenges, collaborative murals, and Instagram campaigns that combine art-making with messaging about support and resources. These can meet youth where they are online while connecting them to local help. PubMed

Practical tips for teachers, parents, and program leaders

If you want to start a painting-based activity that supports mental health, consider:

  • Create safety and structure. Even informal sessions should include a brief check-in, clear instructions, and an exit plan if someone becomes distressed. Train facilitators to notice warning signs and how to refer to professionals. The Lancet

  • Use future-oriented prompts. Prompts like “paint a place you’d like to go” or “paint a version of yourself five years from now” steer participants toward hope and planning — potent antidotes to hopeless thinking. ScienceDirect

  • Normalize help-seeking. Pair art activities with short psychoeducation about emotions and where to go for help. Hearing peers say “it helped me to talk” reduces stigma. SAGE Journals

  • Partner with clinicians. For programs serving high-risk youth, involve school counselors or mental health professionals who can offer immediate support when needed. PMC

  • Measure and iterate. Track attendance, mood self-reports, and referrals to improve the program and demonstrate impact to funders. PubMed

When art alone is not enough — safety first

Painting is a powerful tool but not a replacement for clinical care when someone is actively suicidal or severely depressed. If a young person is expressing intent, has a plan, or is acting on self-harm, contact emergency services or a mental health professional immediately. Community arts programs should have clear referral pathways and crisis plans. The Lancet

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger: in the United States call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or use the Lifeline chat at 988lifeline.org. If you’re outside the U.S., contact local emergency services or your country’s crisis line. 988 Lifeline+1

Real-life impact: a short vignette

(Composite, anonymized) A high school art teacher started weekly after-school painting sessions for teens who said they felt “stuck.” Over the school year, students reported feeling less alone, some began meeting with the school counselor, and one group project sparked a community exhibit that raised awareness about mental health resources. Several students later reported that the art group was the first place they felt safe to say they were struggling — and that connection led them to seek help. Programs like these capture how art can open doors to care and connection. SAGE Journals+1

Takeaway: paint can be part of prevention

The arts are not a magic cure, but painting and creative expression are accessible, meaningful ways to strengthen emotional regulation, reduce isolation, and create pathways to help. When combined with good program design and clear clinical backup, painting-based activities are a valuable part of a community’s suicide prevention toolkit. World Health Organization+1

References (select sources)

  1. Sonke, J. et al. Systematic Review of Arts-Based Interventions to Address Suicide Prevention and Survivorship (2021). SAGE Journals

  2. World Health Organization — Arts and Health (overview of arts’ role in health promotion). World Health Organization

  3. Davico, C. et al. Performing Arts in Suicide Prevention Strategies (2022) — review of arts in prevention programs. PMC

  4. Zhou, S. et al. Effects of art therapy on psychological outcomes among adolescents (2025). PMC

  5. Zhang, B. et al. The effect of art therapy interventions to alleviate … (2025). PMC

  6. U.S. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — 988 information and resources. 988 Lifeline+1

A personal note — support my work if you like it 

If this post resonated with you and you’d like to support art that helps people heal, please consider visiting my shop or following my creative process online. I’m Farzaneh (Fari) — I create acrylic paintings that explore tranquility, hope, and emotional landscapes. You can find original works and prints on my Etsy and follow new work and behind-the-scenes posts on Instagram.

my Instagram page link: https://www.instagram.com/fari.arts4444/

My Etsy online shop;  https://faripalette.etsy.com