International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 12, Issue 9 (September 2025), Pages: 36-48

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 Original Research Paper

Evaluating the long-term impact of art therapy on stress management and employee performance in sustainable workplace wellness programs

 Author(s): 

 Ami Dilham 1, *, Fivi Rahmatus Sofiyah 2, Muhammad Arif Lubis 1, Andrew Satria Lubis 1, Jonathan Liviera Marpaung 3

 Affiliation(s):

  1Management Department, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
  2Faculty of Vocational Education, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
  3Department of Mathematics, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia

 Full text

    Full Text - PDF

 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8825-6108

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.09.004

 Abstract

This study examines the long-term effects of art therapy on stress management and employee performance, with a focus on its role in sustainable workplace wellness programs. It provides a new perspective by combining creative therapeutic methods with strategies to improve organizational productivity. Using a longitudinal approach, the research assesses changes in stress levels, emotional well-being, and work performance at three stages: before the intervention, immediately after, and six months later. The findings show that art therapy helps reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve job satisfaction, with employee engagement playing an important role in these outcomes. The study emphasizes that creative therapeutic approaches can effectively address workplace stress by providing lasting emotional relief and supporting long-term productivity. It also suggests that organizations can enhance employee well-being and workplace sustainability by incorporating mindfulness practices, digital tools, and supportive management strategies.

 © 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Art therapy, Workplace wellness, Stress management, Employee performance, Organizational sustainability

 Article history

 Received 26 October 2024, Received in revised form 24 February 2025, Accepted 6 August 2025

 Acknowledgment

The research was funded by the Research Institute of the Universitas Sumatera Utara under Grant: 47/UN5.4.10.S/PPM/KP-TALENTA/B-II/2024. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

Participants received study details, gave informed consent, and were free to withdraw at any time. Responses were anonymized for research use only, and no procedures posed risks beyond normal daily activities.

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Dilham A, Sofiyah FR, Lubis MA, Lubis AS, and Marpaung JL (2025). Evaluating the long-term impact of art therapy on stress management and employee performance in sustainable workplace wellness programs. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(9): 36-48

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 Figures

  Fig. 1   Fig. 2   Fig. 3   Fig. 4 

 Tables

  Table 1  Table 2  Table 3  Table 4  Table 5  Table 6  Table 7  Table 8

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