The purpose of this study was to analyze the art therapy research trends on the elderly depression. A total of 74 national theses, including 69 master s theses and five doctoral theses spanning the 18-year period from 2000 to 2017, were analyzed. The aspects of theses to be analyzed were research subjects (gender, clinical type, number of participants), research methods (experimental design, measurement tools, participation type, analysis methods), and research contents (research topic, session number, time per session, location). The frequency and percentage obtained for each element according to the analysis criteria were as follows. First, research subjects trends tend to favor hybrid groups, and many studies have examined general elderly people based on general symptoms, and conducted studies on 5-8 persons. Second, in the research methodology, the following aspects were found to be many: research design of experimental control group type, the Korean version of the Elderly Depression Scale measurement tool, group type participation, and integrated analysis research type. Third, in the content of the study, it was confirmed that the therapy theme was an emotional area, and therapy usually consisted of a total 15-17 sessions, 50-60 minutes each, conducted in the elderly leisure facilities. The purpose of this study was to provide basic data to the researchers who plan and administer art therapy in the elderly and to help the clinical field.