Chula launches expressive arts course to combat mental health crisis
Thailand’s oldest university has responded to the modern-day epidemic of stress and depression by launching an international programme in Expressive Arts Therapy (MA).
Chulalongkorn University says creative arts therapy is an effective treatment for mental health issues, helping boost the morale of those suffering from various negative factors in their lives.
A study of 5 million Thais conducted by the Thailand Institute for Mental Health Sustainability from January 2020 to April 2024 revealed alarming statistics: nearly one in 10 (9.35%) were at risk of depression, 5.32% were at risk of suicide, and 7.95% suffered from stress.
“More students, workers and the elderly are attempting suicide because they cannot find solutions to the stress they face,” Bussakorn Binson, dean of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, said on Tuesday.
Different life stages bring various triggers for mental disorders, explained Bussakorn, who also serves as director of Chula’s FAA-Emili Sagol Creative Arts Research and Innovation Centre for Well-being. These factors include higher living costs, unemployment, political issues, crime, drug addiction, relationships, and education challenges.
University students are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues, facing pressures from family and social media, including divorce, family abuse, loneliness, and low self-esteem.
“The CU Mobile Arts 4U project survey found that 80% of university students and staff have experienced stress and depression at some point during their academic careers, with some at risk of suicide,” she said.
However, the CU Mobile Arts 4U project is leading an innovative approach to treating mental illness through creative expression: plays, dramas, sculptures, visual art and music. Bussakorn explained that art therapy provides a safe space for individuals to express their emotions and experiences, enabling them to process and manage difficult feelings.
She noted that creative arts therapy has successfully aided survivors of traumatic events such as the 2011 flood crisis, the mass shootings in Nakhon Ratchasima (2020) and Nong Bua Lamphu (2022), as well as victims of sexual abuse.
“Art can effectively treat mental disorders without the side effects of chemical interventions,” she said. “It also helps people to better understand and love themselves.”
Bussakorn urged educational institutions and workplaces to promote art as a form of therapy, emphasising its benefits in boosting self-awareness and self-esteem.
