01621nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001800042653002100060653002300081653002100104653002300125100003300148700003900181700003400220245005300254856007200307300001000379490000700389520099300396022001401389       2016                            d  cjulbElsevier10aPerceived stress10aLeisure activities10aArt intervention10aGender differences1 aMinerva T.J. Vanegas-Farfano1 aLucía del Carmen Quezada-Berúmen1 aMónica T. González-Ramírez00aArtistic-leisure activities and perceived stress  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1134793716300331  a68-730 v223 aLeisure activities, other than work or school, provide resources for health. This study proposes drawing as a coping mechanism against the perception of stress. It included 216 university students (53 men, 163 women) without a diagnosis of depression or anxiety. Participants were divided into 6 experimental groups as follows: drawing related to the stressor, drawing as a distraction or drawing as a conflict-oriented activity, each with or without text. The Perceived Stress Scale and pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) were used. Analysis of variance and paired t-test analyses showed a significant decrease in perceived stress in 4 groups (post-test): drawing as a distraction with and without text, image reproduction as a distraction without text and drawing related to the stressor with text. Gender differences were found, with pre-test stress higher in women and post-test stress lower. The importance of gender in these interventions is underlined.  a1134-7937