Investigating and Analyzing the Effectiveness of the Role of Art in Maintaining Calmness and Creating Vitality for Citizens in Social Crises

Introduction:
Throughout human history, numerous devastating and widespread events have been recorded that have caused death and irreparable damage to humanity. From the perspective of the World Health Organization, such events disrupt the natural order and create a level of pain and suffering that is beyond the capacity and tolerance of the affected society and ultimately destroys human tolerance. In the present era, at the time of writing this research, COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, affecting citizens around the world. The coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic are one of the most important crises of the last century and the beginning of the third millennium, which have affected human life in all its dimensions, from cultural relations to social, political, and economic. This disease, as a destructive and global event, has brought undesirable consequences to humanity and created undesirable conditions in societies around the world. The aim of the present study is to examine the influential characteristics of art as a means of restoring happiness and calmness to citizens and helping them overcome critical and challenging situations such as COVID-19.
Methodology: This research was conducted with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) and applied in nature. In terms of methodology, it is a descriptive-correlational study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews based on grounded theory, which were selected for their flexibility and depth. The sample comprised 60 faculty members and students from the Faculty of Art and Architecture at the University of Guilan, selected for their familiarity with art’s role in daily life. This purposive sampling ensured access to a population aware of the functions of art, thereby increasing the validity and reliability of the findings.
Result: The resulting model illustrates how conditions and interactions mediate the effectiveness of art, manifesting in outcomes like personal growth and the ability to tolerate grief. The final stage integrated and refined the theory by systematizing the connections between categories into a coherent narrative and visual model. This model describes the mechanisms of art to promote calmness and happiness during crises, conditional on the following:
Causal Conditions: Psychological distress and low morale caused by the crisis.
Contextual Conditions: Citizens’ emotional stability and readiness to cope.
Intervening Conditions: The presence of a prepared and reflective state of mind that facilitates engagement with art.
Actions and Interactions: Self- Understanding, participation in joyful artistic activities, and aesthetic appreciation.
Consequences: Enhanced psychological resilience and capacity to cope with grief. Six main components of the role of art in crisis were identified:

Self-Understanding: Art enhances insight and emotional control, enabling individuals to navigate uncertainty and meaningfully contribute to social resilience.
Joyful Living: Artistic engagement cultivates psychological flexibility, helping individuals maintain optimism and adapt to adversity.
Grief tolerance: Creative expression acts serves as a therapeutic channel for coping with grief and pain, building emotional strength.
Balance and Management Capacity: Art enhances personality adjustment and creative problem-solving, and promotes empathy and moral awareness, which are crucial for social cohesion.
Growth and Maturity: By playing an educational role, art encourages cognitive growth, imagination, and the transformation of social norms, facilitating social progress after a crisis.
Awe and Admiration: By evoking wonder, art provides mental sanctuary and encourages solidarity, reducing isolation and fostering collective hope.

This research uniquely utilizes a comprehensive grounded theory paradigm model that simultaneously considers causal, contextual, and intervening conditions alongside actions and consequences, offering a holistic framework for understanding art’s efficacy in times of crisis. Unlike prior studies that have only addressed individual aspects, this model integrates multiple dimensions to explain how art stimulates both individual and social resilience. Furthermore, involving a knowledgeable sample of art professionals and students enriched the depth of the developed theory.
 Discussion: In this study, data derived from 60 in-depth interviews with art faculty members and students were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology to examine the effectiveness of art in promoting calmness and vitality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis was conducted after a systematic coding process including open, axial, and selective coding phases, supported by MAXQDA software to ensure accuracy and transparency. To ensure validity, the emerging theory was reviewed by participants, and adjustments were made. Test-retest reliability was calculated, showing an acceptable consistency coefficient of 67%, confirming the reliability and validity of the coding procedure. In the second phase, relationships between the categories were examined and structured around a central phenomenon, called the core category. Using a paradigm model, the data were organized into causal conditions, contextual factors, intervening conditions, actions/interactions, and consequences. The core category focused on the role of art in facilitating psychological relief and joyful interaction in the midst of crisis. Contextual factors such as achieving emotional equilibrium and an “aware and reflective mindset” were identified as critical moderators of the impact of art.
Conclusion: This study provided a comprehensive model that explains how art effectively promotes calmness and vitality during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using grounded theory and systematic coding of interviews with knowledgeable art professionals and students, the research identified key conditions—psychological distress, emotional stabilization, and mental readiness—that influence art’s impact. These conditions enable meaningful engagement with art through self-awareness, joyful activities, and aesthetic appreciation, which foster personal growth and resilience in the face of adversity. The proposed paradigm model uniquely integrates causal, contextual, and intervening factors with actions and outcomes, offering a holistic framework not previously applied in this field. Methodologically, this approach represents a novel contribution to understanding art’s role in enhancing mental well-being and social cohesion during unpredictable, widespread crises. The findings highlight the potential of artistic interventions as vital tools for supporting individuals and communities through challenging times.