Art therapy as treatment modality for persons living with dementia- a protocol for a scoping review of systematic reviews

ObjectiveTo establish a robust understanding of the state of the evidence on the effectiveness and/or efficacy of art therapy (AT) as a non-pharmacological treatment (NPT) modality for persons living with dementia (PLWD). BackgroundOver the past decade, AT has received increased attention from health care professionals and researchers as having a potential role to play within treatment plans for PLWD.(1-4) Inclusion criteriaThis scoping review will include systematic reviews from health-related disciplines conducted within the last 20 years that report the effectiveness and/or efficacy of AT as an NPT modality for PLWD and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) as their main objective. Study outcomes must include cognition, quality of life, emotional and psychological well-being, and/or neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). MethodsA scoping review of systematic reviews was selected to outline different types of evidence and to identify gaps in the literature. The proposed review will be guided by the methodological framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. We will therefore specify the research question, identify relevant studies, select eligible studies, extract, collate, and summarize our results. We will not conduct a quality appraisal of the included studies as this review aims to explore the general scope of research conducted that assesses AT effectiveness and efficacy in PLWD.