Prevalences of anxiety, depression, and related mental health difficulties continue to rise across many high-income countries, while existing treatment services face growing pressures and limited capacity. Alongside formal psychological and pharmacological interventions, everyday behaviours that support mental health resilience warrant greater attention. An expanding evidence base shows that arts-based leisure activities-including participating in music, visual arts, dance, creative writing, and visiting cultural venues and performances-can produce meaningful psychological benefits for people with mental disorders across different diagnostic groups and levels of symptom severity. This Personal View explores how arts-based leisure engagement addresses core transdiagnostic cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioural processes underpinning mental health conditions. We discuss the commonalities between arts-based leisure activities and psychological therapies in terms of the core principles and processes activated as well as common therapeutic contextual factors such as relationships, expectancy, and identity formation. We consider the overlaps and important distinctions between arts-based leisure and creative arts therapies. Looking ahead, we identify key research priorities-including the need for head-to-head trials and culturally diverse evidence-to inform whether arts-based leisure engagement should be more explicitly integrated into mental health care pathways. We conclude by considering the implications of this Personal View for clinical practice within high-income contexts.

One in five children and young people in the United Kingdom have a probable mental health condition and feel unhappy with their lives, presenting the lowest life satisfaction across Europe. Children and young people’s needs are now believed to have drastically exceeded the capabilities of the national healthcare system, and there is a call to radically rethink the scope of support and early interventions. In this pilot randomised controlled study, we aimed to investigate the delivery of a school-based music therapy intervention and to test whether all elements of the study design (e.g. recruitment, randomisation, follow-up) can work together in a larger study. The process and outcomes were evaluated by children and teachers through standardised questionnaires of quality of life, well-being and life functioning (Child Outcome Rating Scale), emotional and behavioural difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire with impact supplement), and biomarkers (FitBits) assessing children’s sleep. Adherence to the therapeutic protocol was rated by the researcher and the music therapist. Overall, improvements were observed in all outcome measures. However, in questionnaires of quality of life and Child Outcome Rating Scale, these improvements did not reach statistical significance when baseline differences were considered. Significant improvements were observed in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire with impact supplement and in children’s sleep, with children attending music therapy sleeping ~35 min longer than those who did not. All sessions were given an average rating of 9/10, indicating that children’s session quality ratings were high and consistent across sessions. Sample size calculations for future large-scale studies were performed, and recommendations were provided regarding how to improve the effectiveness of music therapy from children’s perspectives.

Background: Demand for services to improve health and wellbeing is rising among children and young people, driven by increasing health complaints. Arts engagement is effective across multiple health outcomes and used in public health as a preventive intervention, however the economic benefits from the arts are rarely reported. We aimed to systematically review evidence on the economic impacts of the arts on the health and wellbeing of children and young people and to assess reporting quality. Methods: Literature published after January 2005 was identified through searches of CINAHL, Embase.com, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Web of Science Core Collection, Google, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar. Articles were screened by three independent reviewers against eligibility criteria. Studies were included if at least 80% of the population were between ages 5 – 24, involved a recognised arts modality that was not combined with non-arts activities, and reported economic outcomes. Checklists specific to study designs were completed to assess reporting quality. Findings were grouped by arts modality and synthesised through a narrative approach. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guideline. Results: Searches produced 11,610 articles, with 14 meeting the inclusion criteria. There was substantial heterogeneity in study designs, intervention details, outcomes, and valuation methods. Benefits from arts programmes outweighed investment, evidenced through economic modelling (£122 million – £800 million society-wide impacts), cost-utility analysis (95% probability of cost-effectiveness using $50,000 willingness-to-pay threshold), benefit-cost ratios (returning 5.89 – 32 per monetary unit invested), social return on investment ratios (returning 1.98 – 7 per monetary unit invested), comparisons between groups (467 – 6,705 monetary units in healthcare savings), and qualitative data. The reporting quality in 11 studies was strong, and the findings aligned with those from less well-reported studies. Conclusions: The findings provided support for investing in the arts to improve health and wellbeing of children and young people. Discussion of review limitations highlighted evidence from high-income countries only, and potentially eligible studies excluded due to vague abstracts. Future research and arts programme evaluations should consider using standardised measures appropriate for short- and long-term economic evaluations of both wellbeing and well-becoming for young people across their life-course.

BackgroundSince 2022, millions of people have fled the Ukrainian war, seeking refuge and psychological support in other countries. One of the ways to improve their psychological well-being is through arts therapy. Although much research has focused specifically on the refugee experience, few studies have investigated the experiences of arts therapists themselves in working with refugees.AimsThis current study aims to explore and describe the experience of Latvian arts therapists working with Ukrainian war refugees (UWRs).MethodsSemi-structured individual interviews were conducted with six arts therapists who had experience working with UWRs. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the generated data.ResultsFour superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) self-reflection on work with UWRs, (2) perspectives on clients' needs, attitudes and reactions, (3) perceived challenges of work with UWRs, and (4) perceived benefits of work with UWRs.ConclusionsThe study highlights the multifaceted experience of Latvian arts therapists working with UWRs. It recognises the therapists' capacity to provide valuable assistance to UWRs and also notes the challenges to be considered in such work.Implication for practice and policyThe study is useful for arts therapists in other countries, enabling them to be prepared to work with this group of clients. It may be relevant to other health professionals working regularly with UWRs or other refugees. It also informs the work of education providers training mental health professionals for work with war refugees.Plain-language summarySince 2022, many people have left Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict, seeking assistance and safety in other countries. Some of these individuals have experienced trauma and emotional distress. Arts therapy has been recognised as helpful for improving the mental health of these refugees. However, while there has been much research on refugees' experiences of arts therapy, research on the perspectives of arts therapists themselves is rarer.This study looked at the experiences of arts therapists in Latvia working with Ukrainian refugees. The research team interviewed six Latvian arts therapists, and found four main themes: (1) self-reflection on work with UWRs, (2) perspectives on clients' needs, attitudes and reactions, (3) perceived challenges of work with UWRs, and (4) perceived benefits of work with UWRs.The findings show that the support arts therapists offer to Ukrainian refugees is important, but that their experiences are complex. Moreover, the study suggests that arts therapists could benefit from clear guidelines on how to assist war refugees. This could be important for shaping policies and practices related to helping refugees in similar situations.Plain-language summarySince 2022, many people have left Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict, seeking assistance and safety in other countries. Some of these individuals have experienced trauma and emotional distress. Arts therapy has been recognised as helpful for improving the mental health of these refugees. However, while there has been much research on refugees' experiences of arts therapy, research on the perspectives of arts therapists themselves is rarer.This study looked at the experiences of arts therapists in Latvia working with Ukrainian refugees. The research team interviewed six Latvian arts therapists, and found four main themes: (1) self-reflection on work with UWRs, (2) perspectives on clients' needs, attitudes and reactions, (3) perceived challenges of work with UWRs, and (4) perceived benefits of work with UWRs.The findings show that the support arts therapists offer to Ukrainian refugees is important, but that their experiences are complex. Moreover, the study suggests that arts therapists could benefit from clear guidelines on how to assist war refugees. This could be important for shaping policies and practices related to helping refugees in similar situations.Plain-language summarySince 2022, many people have left Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict, seeking assistance and safety in other countries. Some of these individuals have experienced trauma and emotional distress. Arts therapy has been recognised as helpful for improving the mental health of these refugees. However, while there has been much research on refugees' experiences of arts therapy, research on the perspectives of arts therapists themselves is rarer.This study looked at the experiences of arts therapists in Latvia working with Ukrainian refugees. The research team interviewed six Latvian arts therapists, and found four main themes: (1) self-reflection on work with UWRs, (2) perspectives on clients' needs, attitudes and reactions, (3) perceived challenges of work with UWRs, and (4) perceived benefits of work with UWRs.The findings show that the support arts therapists offer to Ukrainian refugees is important, but that their experiences are complex. Moreover, the study suggests that arts therapists could benefit from clear guidelines on how to assist war refugees. This could be important for shaping policies and practices related to helping refugees in similar situations.

BackgroundArts therapies, encompassing art therapy, music therapy, drama therapy, and dance movement therapy with the broader practice of expressive arts therapies, have demonstrated positive outcomes in the treatment of neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders (NNDs). Integrating arts therapies into telehealth has become increasingly important to improve accessibility for people with mobility impairments or those living in remote areas. This study aims to map the existing body of literature to provide an in-depth overview of telehealth in arts therapies for individuals with NNDs.MethodologyThis scoping review followed the PRISMA guidelines. Six databases were systematically searched, with 2,888 articles screened for eligibility. Inclusion criteria focused on primary research peer-reviewed articles in English that addressed telehealth arts therapies for NNDs.ResultsSeventeen telehealth studies published between 2009 and March 2024 were included, with a notable increase in publications after 2020. The studies covered various neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Rett syndrome, and neurological disorders such as stroke, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, central nervous system (CNS) tumors, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and mild cognitive impairment. Music therapy was the most widely studied modality. Interventions ranged from therapeutic singing and songwriting to virtual reality experiences. Different platforms and specialized virtual environments were used alongside pre-recorded sessions. Positive benefits included psychological enrichment, social connectivity, cognitive improvements, and brain changes, although some studies reported mixed or no significant effects in certain areas.ConclusionTelehealth in arts therapies significantly benefits individuals with NNDs, improving accessibility and providing psychological, emotional, social, and cognitive benefits. The positive benefits observed highlight the potential of these interventions to improve overall well-being and daily functioning. Future research may focus on high-quality qualitative studies and neuroimaging assessments to further validate the impact of telehealth arts therapies.

Place-based arts initiatives are regarded as rooted in local need and as having capacity to engage local assets. However, many place-based arts initiatives remain poorly funded and short-lived, receiving little attention on how to scale up and sustain their activities. In this study we make a unique contribution to knowledge about scaling up place-based arts initiatives that support mental health and wellbeing through focusing on the example of ‘Arts for the Blues’, an arts-based psychological group intervention designed to reduce depression and improve wellbeing amongst primary care mental health service users in deprived communities. Methodologically, we used realist evaluation to refine the study’s theoretical assumptions about scaling up, drawing on the lived and professional experiences of 225 diverse stakeholders’ and frontline staff through a series of focus groups and evaluation questions at two stakeholders’ events and four training days. Based on our findings, we recommend that to scale up place-based arts initiatives which support mental health and wellbeing: (i) the initiative needs to be adaptable, clear, collaborative, evidence-based, personalised and transformative; (ii) the organisation has to have a relevant need, have an understanding of the arts, has to have resources, inspiration and commitment from staff members, relevant skillsets and help from outside the organisation; (iii) at a policy level it is important to pay attention to attitude shifts towards the arts, meet rules, guidelines and standards expected from services, highlight gaps in provision, seek out early intervention and treatment options, and consider service delivery changes. The presence of champions at a local level and buy-in from managers, local leaders and policy makers are also needed alongside actively seeking to implement arts initiatives in different settings across geographical spread. Our theoretically-based and experientially-refined study provides the first ever scaling up framework developed for place-based arts initiatives that support the mental health and wellbeing, offering opportunities for spread and adoption of such projects in different organisational contexts, locally, nationally and internationally.

As you read this, we shall be entering into a new year, and we hope that you will enjoy the offering of articles this time.We are delighted to present more articles than usual.We have articles and book reviews on safety, play and pleasure, connections with self and other, considerations around time and creativity, all key elements of the practice of both dance movement and body psychotherapy.Each article deals with these topics separately, explores key therapeutic factors and thus delineates the rich tapestry of our practice.The issue begins with a discussion around safe space in dance therapy, a piece brought to us from The Netherlands by Meri Erkkila and Rosemarie Samaritter.Safety, an essential prerequisite for the therapeutic process to begin, is regularly discussed but rarely researched.Erkkila and Samaritter's phenomenological approach involving interviews with six practitioners, guides the reader to the importance of safe space in the therapeutic relationship, the client's internal safe space and the therapist's sense of safety.In all cases, this article highlights the need for the embodied therapist to adopt certain qualities that offer a sense of safety.The physical presence of the therapist and the client bodies are clearly part of the co-created sense of safety.It is possible that if safety is in place, therapeutic play may be possible, a topic covered in the second article of this issue.Jessica Eve, in her piece entitled 'Play in body psychotherapy' explores the significance of play within a therapeutic context.The huge contribution of embodied psychotherapies to help traumatised individuals is well known (e.g., Ogden et al., 2006;Rothschild, 2000) and although highly significant, it is only one area of our clinical work.Perhaps more importantly, body psychotherapy seeks to support clients to connect with their essential nature or core state.When clients are in touch with this it shows in their physical demeanour and is recognisable in the manifestation of creativity, playfulness, joy, curiosity, love, and intuition (e.g., Boyesen, 1976).Jessica Eve gives composite clinical examples to illustrate her points and asks how play appears in body psychotherapy and why is it helpful.She does not shy away from considering the links between play, pleasure and sexuality.She also writes of the importance of risk taking and vulnerability on the part of both client and therapist for changes to occur.She draws on Panksepp (2009) and reminds us that the PLAY system is built into the mammalian brain, and she shares the view that ' … any therapist who can capture the therapeutic moment in

This research study is an initial exploration of ways in which principles of dance movement therapy practice can be used in South Africa. Culturally-relevant principles in dance movement therapy practice were identified in an earlier phase of the study and informed a short-term group intervention within a transdisciplinary research team that dealt with water resources management. The research question for this phase of the study focused on the experiences of members of this group: How did researchers from a water resources management transdisciplinary environmental research group program in South Africa experience their participation in a group that adopted selected, culturally-sensitive dance movement therapy principles and practices? Hermeneutic phenomenology provided the methodological framing. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis influenced the identification of themes. We conclude that principles of dance movement therapy have relevance in multiple and diverse ways within environmental transdisciplinary teams, beyond typical therapy contexts.

Welcome to the summer issue of our journal.There is an undeniable sense of pride while looking at the articles included here.Pride how the themes and author's cultures printed here seem to fly in the face of historic 'realities' once taken for granted.Namely, that psychotherapy at its origin, and for much if its history focused on and mirrored, Western middle class with an inevitably narrow cultural reach and appeal.In contrast, the articles in this issue show an encouraging cultural width and breath, a very welcome contrast that gives hope for the future of our professions.Whatever we may think of globalisation, culturally informed perspectives can only benefit the field, making it more relevant and accessible for clients and therapists alike.Our first article challenges the 'human-centricity' in current society at the expense of our connection to the natural environment.This contribution by Jill Bunce and Christina Gougouli from the UK and Greece respectively is titled "An exploration of the relationship between the arts, awareness of nature and dance movement psychotherapy" and seeks to explore the nature-body-mind split.The article draws on Greek and transpersonal philosophy to highlight the contribution creativity gives to meaning and connection-making and explores how our senses may shape perception in modern societies commonly ruled by unimaginative utilitarian and economic perspectives.Our relationship with the natural world inevitably shapes the environmental crisis we live in which is simultaneously a psychological crisis of disconnectedness.The next article, "Dance/movement therapy pedagogy with Japanese psychology graduate students: facing 'haji'" by Miho Yamada from Japan and Tomoyo Kawano from the US, explores the influence of cultural traits on movement self-expression.The authors consider how substantial cultural differences around norms such as sense of self, interoceptive awareness and dance/movement inform socially accepted behaviour.The article is based on a small initial study which suggests that the Japanese cultural trait 'haji' may manifest as a barrier to self-expression when participants may feel ashamed or embarrassed to reveal their feelings and thoughts.However, the authors also observe that cultural adaptations may be prove beneficial for dance/movement therapy groups and recommend further in-depth study of such influences in DMT/DMP.Koh Woon Kim from South Korea and Tomoyo Kawano from the US contribute Korean and Japanese perspectives with their article "A critical

BackgroundThere is growing evidence that the arts and arts-based therapies can support the wellbeing of healthcare workers. However, there are few large trials, limiting the use of such therapies in routine practice.AimTo establish the feasibility of introducing a multi-levelled, evidence-based creative psychological intervention delivered by qualified arts psychotherapists and targeting the wellbeing of NHS clinical staff.MethodsThis is a feasibility study with pre/post mixed methods design, the first to explore the value of an evidence-based, multi-levelled creative psychological package targeting the diverse needs of clinical staff within different healthcare settings. The intervention wasadapted from a 12-session group therapy titled Arts for the Blues into a three-level package that included: (i) one-off drop-in sessions to release tension, (ii) workshops for staff development, (iii) group sessions for psychological support. It was delivered by qualified arts psychotherapists (i.e., art, drama and dance movement psychotherapists) and used brief evaluation forms, arts-based data and standardised outcome measures to establish acceptability.ResultsFindings indicate difficulties with recruitment, but the 49 participants placed high value on the different levels offered. All the outcome measures used identified positive change and indicated medium to large effects of the multi-levelled intervention on improvement of wellbeing and resilience, as well as reduction of distress, anxiety, depression and trauma.ConclusionsAlthough the small sample does not allow the generalisation of results, the study suggests that this multi-levelled creative psychological intervention offers acceptable support.Implications for practice/policy/researchFurther research is needed to establish the effectiveness of this intervention with specific teams of professionals. However, the diverse options proposed in this intervention need to be considered further for routine practice, expanding on current job descriptions for art psychotherapists.Plain-language summaryPressures on healthcare services mean that healthcare workers need support for their wellbeing. It is possible that the arts and arts therapies can offer this support, but we need to conduct more research to be certain.In this study we wanted to see if clinical staff working in health services liked a new creative intervention we developed based on our review of the research literature. We modified this intervention from the Arts for the Blues model, a 12-session group therapy that uses a mixture of different artistic forms. We used this new model to support the wellbeing of clinical staff in a large hospital in the North West of England. We did this in three different ways: Creative activities for the whole organisation to release tension (up to 30 min)Creative psychoeducational workshops with teams for staff development (up to 4 h)Creative psychotherapy sessions with individuals in a group for psychological support (up to 18 h).Arts psychotherapists, including art psychotherapists, designed the content of this work and facilitated their delivery.We collected information from 49 clinical staff before and after each of these activities through questionnaires and a brief evaluation form. Although clinical staff were very busy, they liked the different options of the intervention and their wellbeing scores improved.We need to do further research with a larger number of participants. However, the findings so far show that art psychotherapists can work not only with patients, but also with other healthcare workers to improve their wellbeing.Plain-language summaryPressures on healthcare services mean that healthcare workers need support for their wellbeing. It is possible that the arts and arts therapies can offer this support, but we need to conduct more research to be certain.In this study we wanted to see if clinical staff working in health services liked a new creative intervention we developed based on our review of the research literature. We modified this intervention from the Arts for the Blues model, a 12-session group therapy that uses a mixture of different artistic forms. We used this new model to support the wellbeing of clinical staff in a large hospital in the North West of England. We did this in three different ways: Creative activities for the whole organisation to release tension (up to 30 min)Creative psychoeducational workshops with teams for staff development (up to 4 h)Creative psychotherapy sessions with individuals in a group for psychological support (up to 18 h).Arts psychotherapists, including art psychotherapists, designed the content of this work and facilitated their delivery.We collected information from 49 clinical staff before and after each of these activities through questionnaires and a brief evaluation form. Although clinical staff were very busy, they liked the different options of the intervention and their wellbeing scores improved.We need to do further research with a larger number of participants. However, the findings so far show that art psychotherapists can work not only with patients, but also with other healthcare workers to improve their wellbeing.Plain-language summaryPressures on healthcare services mean that healthcare workers need support for their wellbeing. It is possible that the arts and arts therapies can offer this support, but we need to conduct more research to be certain.In this study we wanted to see if clinical staff working in health services liked a new creative intervention we developed based on our review of the research literature. We modified this intervention from the Arts for the Blues model, a 12-session group therapy that uses a mixture of different artistic forms. We used this new model to support the wellbeing of clinical staff in a large hospital in the North West of England. We did this in three different ways: Creative activities for the whole organisation to release tension (up to 30 min)Creative psychoeducational workshops with teams for staff development (up to 4 h)Creative psychotherapy sessions with individuals in a group for psychological support (up to 18 h).Arts psychotherapists, including art psychotherapists, designed the content of this work and facilitated their delivery.We collected information from 49 clinical staff before and after each of these activities through questionnaires and a brief evaluation form. Although clinical staff were very busy, they liked the different options of the intervention and their wellbeing scores improved.We need to do further research with a larger number of participants. However, the findings so far show that art psychotherapists can work not only with patients, but also with other healthcare workers to improve their wellbeing.Plain-language summaryPressures on healthcare services mean that healthcare workers need support for their wellbeing. It is possible that the arts and arts therapies can offer this support, but we need to conduct more research to be certain. In this study we wanted to see if clinical staff working in health services liked a new creative intervention we developed based on our review of the research literature. We modified this intervention from the Arts for the Blues model, a 12-session group therapy that uses a mixture of different artistic forms. We used this new model to support the wellbeing of clinical staff in a large hospital in the North West of England. We did this in three different ways: Creative activities for the whole organisation to release tension (up to 30 min)Creative psychoeducational workshops with teams for staff development (up to 4 h)Creative psychotherapy sessions with individuals in a group for psychological support (up to 18 h).Arts psychotherapists, including art psychotherapists, designed the content of this work and facilitated their delivery.We collected information from 49 clinical staff before and after each of these activities through questionnaires and a brief evaluation form. Although clinical staff were very busy, they liked the different options of the intervention and their wellbeing scores improved.We need to do further research with a larger number of participants. However, the findings so far show that art psychotherapists can work not only with patients, but also with other healthcare workers to improve their wellbeing.

Background Depression affects 5% of adults and it is a major cause of disability worldwide. Digital psychotherapies offer an accessible solution addressing this issue. This systematic review examines a spectrum of digital psychotherapies for depression, considering both their effectiveness and user perspectives. Objective This review focuses on identifying (1) the most common types of digital psychotherapies, (2) clients’ and practitioners’ perspectives on helpful and unhelpful aspects, and (3) the effectiveness of digital psychotherapies for adults with depression. Methods A mixed methods protocol was developed using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The search strategy used the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study Design (PICOS) framework covering 2010 to 2024 and 7 databases were searched. Overall, 13 authors extracted data, and all aspects of the review were checked by >1 reviewer to minimize biases. Quality appraisal was conducted for all studies. The clients’ and therapists’ perceptions on helpful and unhelpful factors were identified using qualitative narrative synthesis. Meta-analyses of depression outcomes were conducted using the standardized mean difference (calculated as Hedges g) of the postintervention change between digital psychotherapy and control groups. Results Of 3303 initial records, 186 records (5.63%; 160 studies) were included in the review. Quantitative studies (131/160, 81.8%) with a randomized controlled trial design (88/160, 55%) were most common. The overall sample size included 70,720 participants (female: n=51,677, 73.07%; male: n=16,779, 23.73%). Digital interventions included “stand-alone” or non–human contact interventions (58/160, 36.2%), “human contact” interventions (11/160, 6.8%), and “blended” including stand-alone and human contact interventions (91/160, 56.8%). What clients and practitioners perceived as helpful in digital interventions included support with motivation and accessibility, explanation of task reminders, resources, and learning skills to manage symptoms. What was perceived as unhelpful included problems with usability and a lack of direction or explanation. A total of 80 studies with 16,072 participants were included in the meta-analysis, revealing a moderate to large effect in favor of digital psychotherapies for depression (Hedges g=–0.61, 95% CI –0.75 to –0.47; Z=–8.58; P<.001). Subgroup analyses of the studies with different intervention delivery formats and session frequency did not have a statistically significant effect on the results (P=.48 and P=.97, respectively). However, blended approaches revealed a large effect size (Hedges g=–0.793), while interventions involving human contact (Hedges g=–0.42) or no human contact (Hedges g=–0.40) had slightly smaller effect sizes. Conclusions Digital interventions for depression were found to be effective regardless of format and frequency. Blended interventions have larger effect size than those involving human contact or no human contact. Digital interventions were helpful especially for diverse ethnic groups and young women. Future research should focus on understanding the sources of heterogeneity based on intervention and population characteristics. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42021238462; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=238462

Students who are marginalised based on varying identities, backgrounds and characteristics are highly vulnerable to mental health challenges, but many do not receive appropriate support from healthcare services. Several barriers have been identified, including cultural and systemic factors. Therefore, everyday coping strategies and support in different settings are vital. This study examines the mental health coping strategies and support needs among marginalised students in the United Kingdom (UK). We analysed qualitative and quantitative data from a cross-sectional survey conducted between December 2021 and July 2022. Statistical analysis was conducted on data obtained using the abbreviated version of the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE). Qualitative content analysis was applied to data collected using open-ended questions. From a subsample of 788 further and higher education students, 581 (73.7%) students (M = 25 years, SD = 8.19) were categorised as marginalised based on ethnicity, sex/gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, first language, birth country, age (i.e., mature students), and having special education needs/disabilities. Marginalised students had significantly higher scores for problem-focused, emotion-focused and avoidant coping strategies/practices compared to other students. Coping strategies included talking to friends and family, practising religion or spirituality, engaging in creative/innovative activities like hobbies, using entertainment as a distraction, waiting to see if things improve and isolating. Students expressed a need for improved or tailored services, additional academic support, and appropriate social support. These included contemporary approaches to support mental health, such as online provisions, regular mentor/personal tutor meetings, lowered academic pressures and opportunities for organised peer support. The findings from this study highlight significant and timely evidence on coping strategies and support needs among a wide range of marginalised student groups in the UK. This study provides important knowledge that is useful to inform personalised culturally appropriate mental health support that can be offered in education settings.

Dementia is affecting an increasing number of people world-wide and presents a need to find more evidence-based therapies that can improve quality of life and care. Music therapy and dance movement therapy are two forms of arts therapies that share an active, embodied and improvisatory approach, however, maximising the benefits of combining music and dance movement therapy has not been researched with this population. In this feasibility study a convergent mixed methods design was used to evaluate the feasibility of using an intervention that combined music and dance movement therapy drawing on a systematic literature review. A dance movement therapist and a music therapist ran two session blocks involving eight participants in total. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia was used at three assessment points (baseline, 5 weeks and 10 weeks) indicating an overall reduction in scores. Qualitative methods included multiple forms of data (video, reflective tool, journal) and focused on significant moments of connection between thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. It generated three main themes in the therapeutic process: making connections, acknowledging grief and loss, and growth and empowerment. This study contributes original knowledge to arts therapies research in the development of a research-based treatment approach involving a collaborative model of practice, an exploration of new arts-based data collection tools and testing this intervention in a community setting.

Creative practice differs widely across the contexts of artistic performance and therapy. In this article the authors describe a novel example of how the otherwise separate fields of choreographic practices and dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) have fed into each other. More specifically, the article outlines (1) how research into the effectiveness of DMP for depression has been used to create an interdisciplinary performance and (2) how the creative process has informed the development of therapeutic work. The performance was originally intended to disseminate quantitative findings from a study in DMP, but, as it developed, the resonances between artistic and therapeutic practice became the key focus and led to the artists contributing to the principles of a new creative therapy. The performance toured internationally and the new therapy model ‘Arts for the Blues’ has been piloted in the NHS, charities and schools in the north-west of England.

This pilot cross-over randomised controlled study aimed to investigate the implementation of a school-based art therapy intervention, and to test whether all elements of the study design (e.g., recruitment, randomisation, follow-up) can work together in a larger study. The process and outcomes were evaluated by children through interviews, standardised questionnaires of quality of life, wellbeing and life functioning, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and biomarkers assessing children's sleep. Adherence to the therapeutic protocol was rated by the researcher and the art therapist. The greatest impact of art therapy was observed in children's exploration of safe space, stress relief, emotional expression, and empowerment. The improvements reported through the standardised questionnaires did not reach statistical significance but were maintained one year later. All sessions were given an average rating of 9/10, indicating that children's session quality ratings were high and consistent across sessions. Sample size calculations for future large-scales studies were performed and recommendations were provided regarding how to improve the impact of art therapy from children's perspectives.