Zentangle and Anxiety

Zentangle Method Reduces Anxiety Among Medical Students

Chelsea Roundtree (left) and Narois Nehru (right) present the results of the study, led by AUC’s Dr. Somphone Schwarzer, at the Resilience Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, on April 14, 2019. The study showed conclusive benefits of a Zentangle practice on reducing anxiety in medical students. While this is not a surprise to anyone who has practiced the Zentangle Method, many people place great value on these studies.

This study also established a road map for future studies into the benefits of the Zentangle Method. Of particular interest is the potential of the Zentangle Method as an art-based alternative to psychotherapy and drugs which are traditional first-line treatments for anxiety. Dr. Miller comments, "What surprises me is the degree to which anxiety was reduced. In the pilot study (which was never written up or published), almost all of the participants were known to have anxiety issues, and the results were dramatic. I honestly did not expect to see approximately the same strength in this round, as we had no idea who would be taking part." We are grateful to the careful effort that this team put into this project and to Eleanor Miller, Ed.D, CZT, who contributed to that effort. Download a PDF of the study at this link. Download a larger image of this presentation slide at this link.