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Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the effect of colors on stress reduction. The study yielded the following results: There was a significant reduction in the studnets’ level of stress after exposure to blue and pink color therapy. Moreover, a significant difference in the stress levels between the students with and without color therapy. In conclusion, being in the clinical duty is a stressful experience among students. The students’ stress levels were reduced after exposure to blue and pink color therapy. Those students with color therapy had a higher reduction of stress level than those who did not receive the therapy. Both blue and pink are soothing colors, but blue has higher effect on the reduction of stress level. Key words - color therapy, stress reduction, blue and pink colors
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INTRODUCTION
The roots of the therapeutic effects of color can be traced way back to the ancient
Egyptian mythology. The art of healing with color was founded by the god Thoth,
include the use of color in healing. In the Hermetic tradition, the Ancient Egyptians
and Greeks used colored minerals, stones, crystals, salves, and dyes as remedies. They
also painted their treatment sanctuaries in various shades of color. Recent applications
on color therapy show that color is becoming widely accepted as a therapeutic tool
with various medical applications. A new technique, which has been developed over
the past two decades as a result of pioneering research, is photodynamic therapy, or
PDT. This is based on the discovery that certain intravenously injected photosensitive
chemicals not only accumulate in cancer cells but selectively identify these cells under
Today, the pace of the modern world is breathtaking Although there are many
benefits of living in this age, people are also noticing the buildup of stress The stress
people experience takes its toll on their bodies Although it is experienced first in the
Abstract - The study was conducted to determine the effect of colors
on stress reduction. The study yielded the following results: There was
blue and pink color therapy. Moreover, a significant difference in the
stress levels between the students with and without color therapy. In
conclusion, being in the clinical duty is a stressful experience among
blue and pink color therapy. Those students with color therapy had
a higher reduction of stress level than those who did not receive the
therapy. Both blue and pink are soothing colors, but blue has higher
effect on the reduction of stress level.
Key words - color therapy, stress reduction, blue and pink colors
The Role of Colors in Stress Reduction
LESLEY C. LUBOS
Dawsonia@yahoo.com
Liceo de Cagayan University
Final Revision Accepted: May 6, 2008
Vol 5 No.2 December 2008 ISSN: 2094-1064 Liceo Journal of Higher Education Research
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7828/ljher.v5i2.39
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Liceo Journal of Higher Education Research
has changed a lot over time. Response to stress has not. Today, stressors are more likely
to be the slow driver of people, such as nerve-wracking requirements in school, the
evening news, pollution in the air, and conicts in relationships.
Nowadays, stress is one of the highest risk factors for heart disease, together with
diet, exercise, and heredity. The solution to staying healthy within peoples’ stressful
lives is to reduce stress and lessen the vulnerability to stress (hp://www.wellness.com).
The third year Nursing students of Liceo de Cagayan University, as the researcher has
observed, are no exception to experiencing stress and its eects. They become very
stressed, agitated, anxious, exhausted, and eventually drained aer their clinical duties.
For such, some of them would not have the energy to nish other responsibilities or
time for other subjects. As a result, both clinical and academic performances become
mediocre.
The researcher decided to pursue this study for the purpose of not just contributing
a feasible means to reducing stress in students through the techniques used in color
therapy, but also making this study a part of their health teachings to their clients and
patients.
FRAMEwORk
Avicenna, an Arab physician and disciple of Aristotle, advanced the art of healing.
In his Canon of Medicine (Avicenna, 980 AD), he made clear the vital importance of
color in both diagnosis and treatment. Avicenna, noting that color was an observable
symptom of disease, developed a chart that related color to temperament and the
physical condition of the body. He used color in treatment - insisting that red moved
the blood, blue or white cooled it, and yellow reduced pain and inammation. He
usually prescribed potions of red owers to cure blood disorders, and yellow owers
and morning sunlight to cure disorders of the biliary system.
Avicenna wrote also of the possible dangers of color in treatment. He observed
that a person with a nosebleed, for example, should not gaze at things of a brilliant red
color or be exposed to red light because this would stimulate the sanguineous humor,
whereas blue would soothe it and reduce blood ow. Furthermore, one of the most
renowned healers during the renaissance period was Theophrastus Bombastus von
Hohenheim (1493-1541), known as Paracelsus. He aributed his understanding of the
laws and practices of medicine to his conversations with witches (women who were
primarily pagan healers purged by the Church). Paracelsus regarded light and color as
essential for good health and used them extensively in treatment, together with elixirs,
charms, talismans, herbs, and minerals.
However, aer the Middle Ages, Paracelsus and other alchemists lost their
prestige when mysticism and magic were overtaken by rationalism and science. By
the eighteenth century, “enlightenment” had taken on a new meaning. It was the name
given to a philosophical movement that stressed the importance of reason and the
critical appraisal of existing ideas. Reason dictated that all knowledge had to be certain
and evident; anything about which there could be doubt was rejected. As a result, the
divine gradually disappeared from the scientic world view. By the nineteenth century,
the emphasis in science was exclusively on the material rather than the spiritual. As
medicine came under the umbrella of science, it, too, focused on the material physical
body, ignoring the mind and spirit. In the advent of physical medicine and such
treatments as surgery and antiseptics, interest in healing with color declined. It did not
resurface until the nineteenth century, and then not in Europe but in North America
97
(hp://www.nlm. nih.gov/exhibition/ paracelsus/paracelsus_2. html).
Then in 1876, Augustus Pleasanton published Blue and Sun-lights, in which
he reported his ndings on the eects of color on plants, animals, and humans. He
claimed that the quality, yield, and size of grapes could be signicantly increased if
they were grown in greenhouses made with alternating blue and transparent panes of
glass. He also reported having cured certain diseases and increased fertility, as well as
the rate of physical maturation in animals, by exposing them to blue light. In addition,
Pleasanton maintained that blue light was eective in treating human disease and
pain. His work gained supporters but was dismissed by the medical establishment
as unscientic (hp://www.sci-art-global.com/acne/ about-our-lights/html). In 1877, a
distinguished physician named Dr. Seth Pancoast published Blue and Red Lights. He,
too, advocated the use of color in healing (hp://www.sci-art-global. com/acne/about-
our-lights/html).
In 1878, Edwin Babbit published the principles of Light and Color. The second
edition, published in 1896, aracted worldwide aention. Babbit advanced a
comprehensive theory of healing with color. He identied the color red as a stimulant,
notably to blood and to a lesser extent to the nerves, yellow and orange as nerve
stimulants, blue and violet as soothing to all systems and with anti-inammatory
properties. Accordingly, Babbit prescribed red for paralysis, consumption, physical
exhaustion, and chronic rheumatism; yellow as a laxative, emetic and purgative, and
for bronchial diculties; and blue for inammatory conditions, sciatica, meningitis,
nervous headache, irritability, and sunstroke. Babbit developed various devices,
including a special cabinet called the Thermolume, which used colored glass and
natural light to produce colored light. He also developed the Chromo Disk, a funnel-
shaped device ed with special color lters that could localize light onto various parts
of the body.
Babbit further established the correspondence between colors and minerals,
which he used as an addition to treatment with colored light, and developed elixirs
by irradiating water with sunlight ltered through colored lenses. He claimed that this
“potentized” water retained the energy of the vital elements within the particular color
lter used, and that it had remarkable healing power. Solar tinctures of this kind are
still made and used today by many color therapists (hp://www.sci-art-global.com/
acne/about-our-lights.html). Chromopaths then sprang up throughout the country and
Britain, developing extensive color prescriptions for every conceivable ailment. By the
end of the nineteenth century, red light was used to prevent scars from forming in cases
of smallpox, and cures were later reported among tuberculosis patients exposed to
sunlight and ultraviolet rays. Nevertheless, the medical profession remained skeptical
of claims made about healing with color (hp://hanezebs. com/Online/info/color_
therapy.html).
Investigations into the therapeutic use of color were carried out in Europe during
the early twentieth century, notably by Rudolph Steiner, who related color to form,
shape, and sound. He suggested that the vibrational quality of certain colors is amplied
by some forms, and that certain combinations of color and shape have either destructive
or regenerative eects on living organisms. In the schools inspired by Steiner’s work,
classrooms are painted and textured to correspond to the “mood” of children at various
stages of their development (hp://www.kheper.netltopics/Anthroposophy/ Steiner.
html).
Rudolph Steiner’s work was continued by Theo Gimbel, who established the
Hygeia Studios and College of Color Therapy in Britain. Among the principles
The Role of Colors in Stress Reduction L.C. Lubos
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Liceo Journal of Higher Education Research
explored by Gimbel are the claims of Max Luscher, a former professor of psychology at
Basle University, who claimed that color preferences demonstrate states of mind and/
or glandular imbalance, and can be used as the basis for physical and psychological
diagnosis. Luschers theory, which forms the basis of the Luscher Color Test, rests on
the idea that the signicance of color for man originates in his early history, when his
behavior was governed by night and day. Luscher believed that the colors associated
with these two environments — yellow and dark blue — are connected with dierences
in metabolic rate and glandular secretions appropriate to the energy required for
nighime sleep and daytime hunting. He also believed that autonomic (involuntary)
responses are associated with other colors (hp://www.netpets.com/—temperamentl
temperament/types.html).
Support for Luscher’s theories was provided in the 1940s by the Russian
scientist S. V. Krakov, who established that the color red stimulates the sympathetic
part of the autonomic nervous system, while blue stimulates the parasympathetic
part. His ndings were conrmed in 1958 by Robert Gerard. Gerard found that red
produced feelings of arousal, and was disturbing to anxious or tense subjects, while
blue generated feelings of tranquility and well being and had a calming eect. The
discovery that blood pressure increases under red light and decreases under blue light
led Gerard to suggest that psycho physiological activation increases with wavelength
from blue to red. Although cautious about his ndings and insisting on the need for
further research, Gerard highlighted the possible therapeutic benets of the color blue,
and recommended it as supplementary therapy in the treatment of various conditions.
Among other suggestions, Gerard pointed to the possible uses of blue as a tranquilizer
and relaxant in anxious individuals, and as a way of reducing blood pressure in the
treatment of hypertension (hp://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Robert_Gerard).
Dr. Harry Wohlfarth also showed that certain colors have measurable and
predictable eects on the autonomic nervous system of people. In numerous studies,
he found that blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rates increase most under
yellow light, moderately under orange, and minimally under red, while decreasing
most under black, moderately under blue, and minimally under green (hp://www.
instantheadacherelief.com/lighting. html). Subsequent research on plants and animals
conducted by the photo biologist Dr. John O demonstrated the eects of color on
growth and development. Plants grown under red glass were found to shoot up four
times quicker than those grown in ordinary sunlight, and to grow much more slowly
under green glass. However, although red light initially over stimulated plants, their
growth was subsequently stunted, whereas blue light produced slower growth initially
but taller, thicker plants later (hp://www.kaliszincolor.com/lighherapy/ A_dr_o.
html).
During the 1950s, studies suggested that neonatal jaundice, a potentially fatal
condition found in two-thirds of premature babies, could be successfully treated by
exposure to sunlight. This was conrmed in the 1960s, and white light replaced the
high-risk blood transfusions in the treatment of this condition. Blue light was later
found to be more eective and less hazardous than full-spectrum (the most common
form of treatment for neonatal jaundice). Bright white full-spectrum light is also now
being used in the treatment of cancers, SAD (seasonal aective disorder — so called
“winter depression”), anorexia, bulimia nervosa, insomnia, jet lag, shi-working,
alcohol and drug dependency, and to reduce overall levels of medication.
The blue light found to be successful in the treatment of neonatal jaundice has also
been shown to be eective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In studies by S. F.
99
McDonald, most of those exposed to blue light for variable periods up to een minutes
experienced a signicant degree of pain relief. It was concluded that the pain reduction
was directly related both to the blue light and the length of exposure to it. Blue light
is also used in healing injured tissue and preventing scar tissue, in the treatment of
cancers and nonmalignant tumors, as well as skin and lung conditions (hp://home.
comcast.net/—smcdonald 9l/tableof.html).
In 1990, scientists reported to the annual conference of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science on the successful use of blue light in the treatment
of a wide variety of psychological problems, including addictions, eating disorders,
impotence, and depression. At the other end of the color spectrum, red light has
been shown to be eective in the treatment of migraine headaches and cancer. As a
result, color is becoming widely accepted as a therapeutic tool with various medical
applications.
A new technique, which has been developed over the past two decades as a result
of pioneering research, is photodynamic therapy, or PDT. This is based on the discovery
that certain intravenously injected photosensitive chemicals not only accumulate
in cancer cells but selectively identify these cells under ultraviolet light. These
photosensitive chemicals then exclusively destroy the cancer cells when activated by
red light, whose longer wavelength allows it to penetrate tissue more deeply than other
colors. PDT can be used for both diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Thomas Dougherty, who
developed PDT, reports that in a worldwide experiment more than 3000 people, with
a wide variety of malignant tumors, have been successfully treated with this technique
(hp://www.tarleton.edu/—dougherty).
Color is also used therapeutically in a variety of non-medical seings. In some
cases, its eects have been quite accidental as in a report by the governor of a prison in
which each of its four wings had been painted a dierent color. Both he and his sta
found that the behavior of the prisoners varied signicantly depending on which wing
they lived in, although their allocation to each had been random. Those in red and
yellow wings were more inclined to violence than those in the blue and green wings.
Experimental research lends support to these observations. Viewing red light has
been found to increase subjects’ strength by 13.5 percent and to elicit 5.8 percent more
electrical activity in the arm muscles. For this reason it is now used to improve the
performance of athletes. Red light appears to help athletes who need short, quick bursts
of energy, while blue light assists in performances requiring a more steady energy
output. By comparison, pink has been found to have a tranquilizing and calming eect
within minutes of exposure. It suppresses hostile, aggressive, and anxious behavior
among women in Western culture. Pink holding cells are now widely used to reduce
violent and aggressive behavior among prisoners, and some sources have reported a
reduction of muscle strength in inmates within 2.7 seconds. It appears that when in
pink surroundings people cannot be aggressive even if they want to, because the color
saps their energy (hp://www.kaliszincolor.com/ligth-therapy/A_dr_o. html).
The cited theories, researches, and information, provide evidence to support the
claim that color therapy can change a person’s mental, physiological, and emotional
health; hence, color therapy is helpful to those who are stressed, especially the
students.
The independent variable of the study is the color therapy, which assumed
that color inuences the level of stress experienced by the subjects of the study. The
dependent variable is the level of stress, the factor to be inuenced by color therapy.
The Role of Colors in Stress Reduction L.C. Lubos
100
Liceo Journal of Higher Education Research
OBJECTIVES OF ThE STUDY
The study pursued the following objectives: (1) to compare the level of stress
experienced by the students exposed to blue and pink color therapy; (2) to compare
the level of stress of the students before and aer exposure to color therapy; and (3) to
compare the level of stress between the treatment and control groups.
METhODOLOGY
Two groups of Nursing students from Liceo de Cagayan University were studied.
The rst group was a control group, which was not subjected to color therapy; and the
second group was the experimental group, which was subjected to the therapy. The
students were from the 7AM-3PM shi. The two groups were given a pretest aer
hospital duty. The pretest was followed by a color (blue and pink) therapy. Aer the
therapy, the two groups answered the same questionnaire as post test.
The questionnaire, adapted from Rebato (2004), was composed of 24 questions.
Each respondent was asked to check the appropriate box in each question. The choices
were (3) VM- very much, (2) M- moderately, (1) S- slightly, and (0) NO- no. Table 1
shows the scoring ranges and their equivalent description.
Table 1. Specic indicators for the levels of stress
The subjects of the study were the 20 third-year Nursing students of Liceo de
Cagayan University during school year 2006-2007. The researcher made sure that the
students did not wear eyeglasses to ensure that they did not have any eye problem.
Aer hospital duty, the respondents were asked to answer the questionnaire (pretest)
to determine the level of stress aer their clinical duty.
Blue and pink were used as therapy. The two colors are considered to have calming
and soothing eect. Each color treatment was done in separate days. Aer the pretest,
the subjects were then taken to the treatment room. Prior to the treatment, instructions
were given to the subjects. They were told to breathe deeply and to stay relax as they
look at the colored wall in the room. They were not allowed to talk to each other but
rather to sit down and just look at the colored wall. The respondents were not allowed
to sleep either. The color therapy was conducted for 20 minutes. As to the control group,
color therapy was not conducted.
Aer the color therapy, the respondents were asked to answer the same
questionnaire as posest. The posest was given to determine the eect of color therapy
on the respondents. The control group was also given the posest for comparison. For
data comparison, the T-test was used.
101
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 2. Test of dierence in the level of stress aer pink and blue color therapy
The results of the study reveal that there was a slight dierence in the level of
stress experienced by the students aer exposure to blue (1.3832 and pink 1.6042) color
therapy. According to Avicenna (980 AD) in his Canon of Medicine, color has its vital
importance. He used color treatment insisting that red moved the blood, blue or white
cooled it, and yellow reduced pain and inammation. Although both the blue and pink
colors are known to have its soothing eects, the levels in which they can reduce stream
signicantly vary. Babbit emphasized that red is a stimulant while blue is soothing
to all systems. Since pink is a combination of red and white, then blue has a stronger
soothing eect than the color pink. Although this is so, pink still reduces the level of
stress.
Table 3. Test of dierence in the level of stress aer exposure to pink color therapy
Table 3 shows that aer the pink color therapy, there was a decrease in the level
of stress. The decrease was signicant as revealed by the test of dierence (t-value of
38.26> critical value of 1.729). As found out in an experiment, when people are in pink
surroundings, they cannot be aggressive even if they want to because the color saps
their energy. Pink has been found to have a tranquilizing and calming eect within
minutes of exposure. It suppresses hostile, aggressive, and anxious behavior. When a
person is stressed, there is the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which
would cause the blood pressure and heart rate to increase.
Table 4. Test of dierence in the level of stress aer exposure to blue color therapy
The Role of Colors in Stress Reduction L.C. Lubos
102
Liceo Journal of Higher Education Research
Table 4 shows that the blue was a signicant reduction of the level of stress aer
exposure to blue color therapy. According to Robert Gerard (1958), blue generates the
feelings of tranquility and well-being and has a calming eect. He emphasized that
blue stimulates the parasympathetic part of the human’s autonomic nervous system.
The exposure to blue diminished stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, thus
making the respondents more calm and relaxed.
Table 5. Test of dierence in the level of stress between the treatment and control groups
Table 5 shows that the group exposed to color therapy had a more reduced level of
stress (3.1294) than the group without color therapy (1.3882).
When the students were stressed, the exposure to color therapy aided the reduction
of their stress level. According to Rudolph Steiner work, certain combinations of color
and shape have either destructive or generative eects on living organisms. In this
study, the color therapy possessed to have generative eect on the subjects.
CONCLUSION
Clinical duty is a stressful experience for Nursing students. However, students
reduced their stress signicantly aer exposure to color therapy. Both blue and pink are
soothing colors. Blue has stronger eect on reducing stress.
ACkNOwLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to thank the Liceo de Cagayan University Nursing
Department, especially to Ms. Elizabeth V. Mangalao, Ms. AizaLei C. Moreno,
Ms. Rosalie A. Sy, Ms. Rochelle E. Tabalbag, and Ms. Mae Violet A. Vedra for their
contribution during the course of the study.
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The Role of Colors in Stress Reduction L.C. Lubos
... Another limitation is that the improvement may be short term [8], but it also could be used as an accessible intervention for the general population during this particular period. Four elements have been widely shown to be helpful in previous empirical studies [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. First, coloring that elicits awe can reduce anxiety and strengthen happiness. ...
... Contact with nature may help people recover from stressful situations and improve attention concentration, subsequently enhancing mental health [18,19]. Third, the color pink is positively related to warmth, love, and nurturance, effectively reducing stress and violent behaviors within even minutes of exposure [20][21][22][23]. Fourth, the color blue, a cold color with a short wavelength, has calming and soothing effects and the function to benefit mood and reduce depression and anxiety [23][24][25]. ...
... Third, the color pink is positively related to warmth, love, and nurturance, effectively reducing stress and violent behaviors within even minutes of exposure [20][21][22][23]. Fourth, the color blue, a cold color with a short wavelength, has calming and soothing effects and the function to benefit mood and reduce depression and anxiety [23][24][25]. The effectiveness of awe, pink, nature, and blue in reducing psychological distress suggests that coloring images characterized by these 4 elements online could be useful in reducing distress and improving psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
Preprint
Background: COVID-19 has spread worldwide and generated tremendous stress on human beings. Unfortunately, it is often hard for distressed individuals to access mental health services under conditions of restricted movement or even lockdown.
... Another limitation is that the improvement may be short term [8], but it also could be used as an accessible intervention for the general population during this particular period. Four elements have been widely shown to be helpful in previous empirical studies [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. First, coloring that elicits awe can reduce anxiety and strengthen happiness. ...
... Contact with nature may help people recover from stressful situations and improve attention concentration, subsequently enhancing mental health [18,19]. Third, the color pink is positively related to warmth, love, and nurturance, effectively reducing stress and violent behaviors within even minutes of exposure [20][21][22][23]. Fourth, the color blue, a cold color with a short wavelength, has calming and soothing effects and the function to benefit mood and reduce depression and anxiety [23][24][25]. ...
... Third, the color pink is positively related to warmth, love, and nurturance, effectively reducing stress and violent behaviors within even minutes of exposure [20][21][22][23]. Fourth, the color blue, a cold color with a short wavelength, has calming and soothing effects and the function to benefit mood and reduce depression and anxiety [23][24][25]. The effectiveness of awe, pink, nature, and blue in reducing psychological distress suggests that coloring images characterized by these 4 elements online could be useful in reducing distress and improving psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
Article
Full-text available
Background: COVID-19 has spread worldwide and generated tremendous stress on human beings. Unfortunately, it is often hard for distressed individuals to access mental health services under conditions of restricted movement or even lockdown. Objective: The study first aims to develop an online digital intervention package based on a commercially released coloring game. The second aim is to test the effectiveness of difference intervention packages for players to increase subjective well-being (SWB) and reduce anxiety during the pandemic. Methods: An evidence-based coloring intervention package was developed and uploaded to an online coloring game covering almost 1.5 million players worldwide in January 2021. Players worldwide participated to color either 4 rounds of images characterized by awe, pink, nature, and blue or 4 rounds of irrelevant images. Participants' SWB and anxiety and the perceived effectiveness of the game in reducing anxiety (subjective effectiveness [SE]) were assessed 1 week before the intervention (T1), after the participants completed pictures in each round (T2-T5), and after the intervention (T6). Independent 2-tailed t tests were conducted to examine the general intervention (GI) effect and the intervention effect of each round. Univariate analysis was used to examine whether these outcome variables were influenced by the number of rounds completed. Results: In total, 1390 players worldwide responded and completed at least 1 assessment. Overall, the GI group showed a statistical significantly greater increase in SWB than the general control (GC) group (N=164, t162=3.59, Cohen d=0.59, 95% CI 0.36-1.24, P<.001). Compared to the control group, the best effectiveness of the intervention group was seen in the awe round, in which the increase in SWB was significant (N=171, t169=2.51, Cohen d=0.39, 95% CI 0.10-0.82, P=.01), and players who colored all 4 pictures had nearly significant improvements in SWB (N=171, F4,170=2.34, partial ŋ2=0.053, P=.06) and a significant decrease in anxiety (N=171, F4,170=3.39, partial ŋ2=0.075, P=.01). Conclusions: These data indicate the effectiveness of online psychological interventions, such as coloring games, for mental health in the specific period. They also show the feasibility of applying existing commercial games embedded with scientific psychological interventions that can fill the gap in mental crises and services for a wider group of people during the pandemic. The results would inspire innovations to prevent the psychological problems caused by public emergencies and encourage more games, especially the most popular ones, to take more positive action for the common crises of humankind.
... As revealed in a study done by Mahnke (1996), most of the subjects associated red light with anxiety, blue and green with calming feelings of relief, orange with arousal but less arousing than red and more pleasantly stimulating; and violet with mystical feelings. Gerard (1958) cited in Lubos (2012) found that red produced feelings of arousal, and was disturbing to anxious or tense subjects, while blue generated feelings of tranquillity and well-being, inducing a calming effect. Studies have shown that yellow produces statistically significant biological responses and higher anxiety-state scores ( Dearing and Singg ,1996). ...
... In a study conducted by Kutchma (2003), it was found that subjects in red room conditions had higher stress rating scores compared to green or white room conditions. Blue colour was found to induce a stronger effect on the reduction of stress levels (Lubos, 2012). Calmer emotions were generally noticed by patients who were exposed to a blue room; pleasant, calming, restful and supporting concentration, thinking and meditation, suggesting the colours ability to reduce stress levels (Mahnke, 1996). ...
... Second best result was seen under colour blue ("Normal" range: 67% and "Mid" range 27% and "Severe" range: 07%) followed by colour yellow ("Normal" range: 67% and "Mid" range 20% and "Severe" range: 13%). Therefore, out of the introduced colours, green was seen as the best colour for the overall improvement of stress levels parallel with findings of Kutchma (2003) and (Gamble, Howard and Howard, 2014), followed by colour blue, in alignment with Lubos (2012). On the other hand, colour yellow was found to be aggravating stress levels, even though not significantly, compared to other colours, supposedly due to its stimulating effect on individuals as explained by Gebert (1977). ...
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Physically disabled community in Sri Lanka is not receiving sufficient attention with reference to the conduciveness of their living environments. The patients who are harrowed with mobility impairments should be supported to overcome challenges which hinder the smooth functioning of day today physical activities while maintaining their psychological health by incorporating disabled-friendly, optimum healing design interventions. In view of this, an attempt was made to determine the impact of interior colours to reduce depression, anxiety and stress levels of disabled individuals. The investigation was executed with reference to wall colour of patient’s (n=15) bedrooms of a selected rehabilitation centre, at Ragama. The impact of three selected hues (blue, yellow and green) were tested by installing colour panels on the sidewall of the beds, allowing the participants to be exposed to each colour for three consecutive days. Depression, anxiety and stress levels of participants were measured using DASS-21. Impact of green colour was found to be more favourable to reduce depression, anxiety and stress levels of participants over blue and yellow. It is recommended to extend this study further to test different hues, shades and intensities of green colour with long-term exposure, to enhance psychological health and well-being of disabled patients in health care facilities.
... One essential aspect of the visual presentation of crisis maps is the strategic design of colour schemes. Colours significantly impact human perception, cognition, and stress levels (Elliot and Maier, 2014;Lubos, 2008), thus affecting the effective encoding and retrieval of map information. ...
... The associated t-score and pvalue, both less than 0.01 (Table 1), reinforce the significance of this change, offering compelling evidence of the intervention's impact. The study [19] also supports that color therapy has an impact on reducing stress levels. ...
Article
Aim: Color Therapy as a powerful communication tool possesses the potential to impact emotions, moods, and psychological reactions. This study delves into the significance of colors and their influence on academic stress levels. The research aims to investigate the efficacy of color therapy, specifically utilizing blue and yellow, in alleviating academic stress among high school students. Study Design: Purposive sampling method of research was used. Place and Duration of Study: Saket MGM Senior Secondary School, Vidisha, near Bhopal (MP). The study took almost three months including data collection, one month 8 hours daily (excluding Saturday and Sunday) intervention. Methodology: The sample comprised 150 high school students whose academic stress levels were initially measured by Academic Stress Scale by Kim. Subsequently, students exhibiting moderate to extreme stress levels were exposed to a color intervention and again the stress level was observed. The data was analyzed through Student’s t-test. Results: The findings of the study revealed a substantial reduction in academic stress levels among students after exposure to blue and yellow color therapy. The accompanying statistical analysis, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, underlines the robust evidence of this positive change. Conclusion: The results suggest that employing specific colors in educational settings may offer a viable and non-intrusive approach to addressing academic stress among high school students. Implications of the study are discussed.
... B.Seaward [15], in his book named "Managing Stress" has included a chapter named "Expressive Art Therapy", and have proved that art therapy is an effective stress releasing technique for adults too. L.Lubos [16] has conducted a research to find the stress levels of students who have been exposed to pink and blue. C. Malchiodi [17] has discussed the effectiveness of the different traditional art media like drawing, painting, clay, and collage for stress management. ...
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Stress, if defines naively, is the body's response to pressure. Sri Lanka is a South Asian country where mental health is not given a much of a concern comparing with the Western and European countries. The Mental Health Foundation stated that some stress responses can be managed, and some can be useful but too much stress can cause negative effects and long-term stress may affect human's physical and mental health in advance [1]. According to the statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO) 5%-10% of the Sri Lanka population suffer from mental health problems which needs the attention of the professionals [2]. The present case study aims at the efficient and effective management of stress of University Undergraduates of Sri Lanka who can be a victim of stress due to several reasons. The proposed system aims to help the university undergraduates by providing them with a mobile application which collects and calculates the current stress levels and stress scores of undergraduates using different techniques and suggesting the stress relieving activities for that specific stress level via a recommendation system which contains multiple stress relieving activities which can be used to cater with different stress levels.
... Perhaps part of this issue is due to the colors used in miniature because previous research showed that pink, and blue, with a greater effect, significantly reduce stress. Given that attending clinical duty is a stressful experience among stu-dents, students' stress levels decreased after exposure to pink color therapy and blue, with a greater effect (34). The goal of implementing VTS-based interdisciplinary programs at Harvard Medical School is also to acquire human capabilities along with the prevention of job exhaustion, which impairs job satisfaction (13). ...
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Background: Visual thinking strategy (VTS) is an interdisciplinary education that focuses on art. In this method, all students think about complex artistic elements. VTS uses visual literacy to teach communication skills and thinking. Objectives: This study aims to compare the educational effectiveness of Persian pictures with classical painting, which leads to teaching the concepts of medical humanities using medical students’ perspective. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, medical students of clinical course (trainees and interns, 4th - 7th year of medicine) in the second semester of the 2021 academic year attended a VTS discussion session, which contained thinking about three paintings, including a classical western painting, a Safavid era miniature, and a contemporary painting. At the end of the session, an opinion poll on the effectiveness criteria was completed by the students separately for each painting, and the results were analyzed. Results: According to the findings, our intervention improved visual and auditory sensitivity, accuracy and attention, interaction and cooperation with others, teamwork, and an understanding of their share in the group. In addition, from the perspective of contemporary miniature students, this field played a prominent role in reducing job exhaustion, anxiety, and stress, and created a sense of calm and aesthetics in students by applying topics and issues of the day and paying attention to socio-cultural issues. Classical western painting conveyed a sense of calm and discomfort to the students. Based on the results of interpretive content analysis, this kind of painting had a profound effect on the meaning transmission so that it exposed the comprehensive views on the subject to the viewer’s sight. Given that the Safavid miniature contains various symbols that express the details of the social context and cultural traditions related to human beings, it conveys a variety of senses. On the other hand, the use of classical painting and contemporary Persian painting in VTS discussions in medical education was more prominent than the Safavid era miniature. Conclusions: Miniature can have helpful effects on improving medical professional skills similar to classical painting in VTS topics.
Article
Background: Incorporation of chromotherapy is an established modality in medical science. However, its use in adult dentistry is an unexplored area. Aim: This study aimed to clinically evaluate and compare the effect of chromotherapy on anxiety levels in patients undergoing endodontic treatment. Materials and methods: Using computer randomization, the included 90 patients were divided into three groups: Group - 1: Blue, Group - 2: Pink, and Group - 3: Control. Patients were given a preoperative Modified Dental Anxiety Scale questionnaire. Preoperative assessment of heart rate, systolic blood pressure (BP), and diastolic BP was followed by color therapy. Assessment of all the parameters was done at three levels, i.e., preoperative, post chromotherapy session, and after endodontic treatment. Statistical analysis: Obtained data were tabulated and subjected to ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The present study demonstrated that patients subjected to blue and pink color therapy had a statistically significant reduction in anxiety as compared to the control group after chromotherapy and post endodontic treatment (P < 0.05). However, between the pink- and blue-colored groups, no statistically significant difference was found (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Chromotherapy plays a pivotal role in anxiety reduction before and during the dental treatment procedure and can be effectively incorporated during routine practice.
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creative commons attribution non-commercial License. Which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. Abstract Every child deserves a happy and a healthy smile and Pediatric dentistry is fully devoted towards making it true. The major issue that comes while treating the little ones is that 90% of the child are uncooperative and are difficult to manage. The difficulty is not only because of the machines or drills associated with the treatment but also related to emotional distress the child suffers with the thought of dental treatment. It is said that colors are a beautiful tool in uplifting a child mood. By knowing the color preference of a child pediatric dentist can evaluate the emotional state of the child, identify their fears thereby can take necessary steps to reduce the anxiety level. This will not only improve the patient management but can also enhance the overall quality of the dental treatment. So the purpose of this short communication is to provide an insightful knowledge about the correlation of colors with the anxiety level of children.
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