An Exploratory Trial of Brief Mindfulness-Based Zentangle Art Workshops in Family Social Services during COVID-19 - Transitioning from Offline to Online

Aug 29, 2026

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Mindfulness-based art therapy has demonstrated benefits for psychological well-being, and Zentangle offers an accessible, easy-to-learn mindfulness-based art approach for all participants. This exploratory study examined the shift from face-to-face to online Zentangle workshops delivered through family social services during COVID-19. Using an ICT-supported online format, the study assessed feedback from in-person sessions and evaluated acceptability and outcomes related to service reach, satisfaction, and knowledge, supported by quantitative and qualitative evidence across two phases.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Zentangle method and rationale

Prior evidence and research gap

Study aim and approach

Transition from offline to online workshops

Participants and workshop phases

Results and outcomes

Satisfaction, knowledge and confidence

Acceptability of ICT and learning convenience

Discussion

Article An Exploratory Trial of Brief Mindfulness-Based Zentangle Art Workshops in Family Social Services during COVID-19: Transitioning from Ofﬂine to Online Shirley Man-Man Sit 1,2,†, Ellen Ng 3,†, Hilary Pui-Yee Ho 1, Peony Cheuk-Yeuk Wong 3, Man-Ping Wang 2, Sai-Yin Ho 1, Tai-Hing Lam 1, * and Agnes Yuen-Kwan Lai 2, * Citation: Sit, S.M.-M.; Ng, E.; Ho, H.P.-Y.; Wong, P.C.-Y.; Wang, M.-P.; Ho, S.-Y.; Lam, T.-H.; Lai, A.Y.-K. An Exploratory Trial of Brief Mindfulness-Based Zentangle Art Workshops in Family Social Services during COVID-19: Transitioning from Ofﬂine to Online. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 10926 . [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijerph191710926 Academic Editor: Paul B. Tchounwou Received: 30 July 2022 Accepted: 31 August 2022 Published: 1 September 2022 Publisher's Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional afﬁliations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China 2 School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China 3 Caritas-Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China * Correspondence: hrmrlth@hku.hk (T.-H.L.); agneslai@hku.hk (A.Y.-K.L.)† These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Mindfulness-based art therapy has shown to improve psychological well-being. Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, mindfulness-based art therapy suitable for everyone. We reported the transition from face-to-face to online Zentangle workshops in family social services during COVID-19 . We explored feedback from face-to-face workshops and the acceptability of an online approach utilizing information communication technology (ICT) to achieve greater service reach, satisfaction, and knowledge and related outcomes. Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project and in collaboration with Caritas Integrated Family Service Centre—Aberdeen, this study was conducted in two phases: a four-session, face-to-face workshop (phase one) and eleven online singlesession workshops (phase two) from September 2019 to September 2020 . A total of 305 participants joined the workshops. Phase one participants (n = 11) reported high satisfaction (4.7 out of 5), increases in knowledge (4.2/5) and conﬁdence (3.9/5) towards managing stress, increases in knowledge (4.1/5) and conﬁdence (3.9/5) in showing support and care towards family members, and an increase in knowledge towards strengthening family relationships (4.0/5) . Phase two participants (n = 294) also reported high satisfaction (4.7/5) and strongly agreed that ICT helped with learning Zentangle more conveniently, that they had increased knowledge and interest in Zentangle (all 4.7/5), and would deﬁnitely join the workshop again (4.8/5) . The qualitative data supported the quantitative ﬁndings. We are the ﬁrst to report on the utilization of ICT in an exploratory trial of brief, online Zentangle artworkshops targeting the general public, with high satisfaction and positive participant experiences with ICT integration, learning Zentangle, and enhanced psychological and family well-being. This study provided preliminary evidence on the use of ICT to successfully transition face-to-face to online workshops and reach a wider audience. Keywords: Zentangle; art therapy; mindfulness; family social services; information and communication technology; community-based; COVID-19 1. Introduction The Zentangle® method is a mindfulness-based art therapy in which participants create detailed images through drawing repetitive structured patterns, called tangles, with int

FAQs

What is the Zentangle method used in the workshops?

Zentangle is a mindfulness-based art therapy where participants create structured images by drawing repetitive patterns (“tangles”) using simple strokes on small tiles, with minimal prior drawing skills or equipment required.

How did the study transition from offline to online workshops?

The study used two phases: a short set of face-to-face workshops followed by eleven online single-session workshops supported by information and communication technology (ICT) to improve learning convenience and service reach.

What outcomes were measured for participants across phases?

Participants reported satisfaction and changes in knowledge and confidence related to managing stress, supporting family members, and strengthening family relationships, and qualitative feedback supported the quantitative findings.

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Anda