The Crane Project: Mixed-Methods Analysis of an Expressive Art Therapy Intervention to Promote Collective Healing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Across the globe, societies have experienced devastating losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to social distancing guidelines, funerals and other forms of commemoration were put on pause. In response to the lack of ability to honor lives and the need for personal and collective healing, a team came together and formed the Crane Project-an expressive art therapy intervention to help the community process grief and foster resilience in the form of a public art exhibit. Specifically, through workshops, individuals were encouraged to write six-word poems to describe their COVID-19 experience and create a paper crane for display with their poem inside. In total, 457 individuals created 514 poems. Using a mixed-methods study design, researchers analyzed participants' six-word poems and changes in subjective units of distress scores (SUDS) before and after the intervention. We found statistically significant decreases in mean SUDS in the full sample and within each intervention group; however, no statistically significant between group differences were found. Poems were also qualitatively coded into four main themes: (a) grief, loss, and challenges; (b) painful emotions; (c) gratitude, resilience, and hope; and (d) connection and community. Our quantitative and qualitative findings highlight the importance of arts-based experiential projects in processing the grief and loss experienced by individuals, as well as the critical importance of fostering hope, healing, and community in the face of tragedy.