Abstract
Background
Arts therapies are increasingly recognized for their effectiveness in mental health care, as digital technologies rapidly transform service delivery and accessibility. However, competencies required for arts therapists to implement digital mental healthcare remain under-researched. This study aims to identify and map these competencies and align them with relevant digital domains and clusters.
Methods
A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR and Arksey and O’Malley’s five-step framework used systematic searches in PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest to comprehensively map relevant studies.
Results
This scoping review identified 49 unique digital competencies for arts therapists in adult mental health care, systematically organized into 12 domains across three clusters: Digital Foundations, Digital Clinical Practice, and Digital Engagement & Management. The most frequently represented domains were Patient-centred applications and education, Remote care, and Clinical care, with competencies such as digital patient engagement, remote patient monitoring, and digital therapeutic systems most often cited.
Conclusions
This scoping review establishes a foundational competency framework for arts therapists in digital mental healthcare, guiding practice standardization, education, and future research.
Arts therapies are increasingly recognized for their effectiveness in mental health care, as digital technologies rapidly transform service delivery and accessibility. However, competencies required for arts therapists to implement digital mental healthcare remain under-researched. This study aims to identify and map these competencies and align them with relevant digital domains and clusters.
Methods
A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR and Arksey and O’Malley’s five-step framework used systematic searches in PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest to comprehensively map relevant studies.
Results
This scoping review identified 49 unique digital competencies for arts therapists in adult mental health care, systematically organized into 12 domains across three clusters: Digital Foundations, Digital Clinical Practice, and Digital Engagement & Management. The most frequently represented domains were Patient-centred applications and education, Remote care, and Clinical care, with competencies such as digital patient engagement, remote patient monitoring, and digital therapeutic systems most often cited.
Conclusions
This scoping review establishes a foundational competency framework for arts therapists in digital mental healthcare, guiding practice standardization, education, and future research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Arts and Health |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 30 May 2026 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education
Keywords*
- arts therapists
- competency
- digital mental healthcare
- scoping review
- Arts therapists
Field of Science*
- 3.3 Health sciences
- 5.1 Psychology
Publication Type*
- 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database
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