Psychological and neurobiological insights into expressive arts therapy for trauma-related somatic experiences in adults: a scoping review

Abstract

This scoping review explored how expressive arts therapy (EAT) has been applied to support trauma-related somatic experiences in adults, with particular attention to psychological and neurobiological insights and assessment approaches. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies. The findings indicated that trauma-related somatic experiences were described across multiple dimensions of bodily experience and encompassed somatic manifestations, embodied experiences, and physiological processes associated with trauma. Psychological dimensions, including proposed mechanisms and assessment approaches, were represented more consistently across the reviewed literature, whereas neurobiological perspectives remained comparatively limited and were more often discussed interpretively than directly assessed. Overall, this review provides a structured overview of how EAT has been applied and studied in relation to trauma-related somatic experiences while identifying methodological, conceptual, and cultural gaps across the existing literature, which remained predominantly grounded in Western contexts with limited representation from Asian and other non-Western contexts.