Arts & Health最新文献

This poem is an autoethnographic poem narrating a nine-year trajectory in Korea, from undergraduate study to the doctorate, and from dancer to scholar in dance, theatre, and performance studies. As the only foreign student in the university's dance department, the author experienced prolonged isolation and exclusion that intensified into self-doubt, before a subsequent move to a theatre-focused program and entry into academic work facilitated a gradual emergence from the shadows of the undergraduate years. Framed by recurring motifs of circle, counts, and light, the poem traverses studio, black-box theatre, library, and corridor to show how linguistic barriers and cultural othering, within arts-based intervention, are embodied and transformed into practices of self-repair and self-care: the body is re-centered, "foreign land" is renamed from within, and exclusion becomes sustainable practice and posture. The work calls on universities and communities to establish accessible support networks, provide culturally responsive arts-based interventions and peer support, and evaluate inclusion by felt belonging rather than numerical indicators, while using poetic narrative to illuminate individual resilience and pathways of self-care under adverse conditions.

Background: The Odyssey Project is a unique non-clinical participatory photography program for veterans. We evaluated the Odyssey Project's impact on participants' mental health, social connection, well-being, and quality of life and gathered insights into how the arts support veterans.

Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 Odyssey participants. Transcripts underwent rapid qualitative analysis, producing matrixed summaries and identifying themes across these summaries.

Results: Veterans reported improved mental health, social relationships, belonging, perspectives on military service, sense of self, and self-acceptance. Veterans felt art was useful for processing and reconnecting with their emotions. Some participants offered suggestions for program improvement.

Conclusion: Odyssey participants experienced positive impacts that had ripple effects through their lives and valued using the arts to tell their stories. The Odyssey Project sits in a "sweet spot" between clinical art therapy and other less immersive veterans' community arts programs, making it appealing to veterans struggling with reintegration.

Background: Approximately half of the global population resides in remote regions, yet healthcare resources remain disproportionately concentrated in urban areas. Social and geographical isolation exacerbate health disparities, resulting in limited access to services for rural, remote and island communities. This paper explores how arts-based health interventions respond to these inequalities.

Methods: We conducted a literature review of research studies published over the past two decades.

Results: Arts-based health interventions have emerged as a promising approach to addressing disparities and enhancing overall health and wellbeing. The arts support healthcare literacy, individual agency, self-expression and a strengthened sense of community presence and identity. Creative practices rooted in local and Indigenous traditions foster sustainable and meaningful relationships between people and place, enabling a sense of connected belonging and intergenerational historicity. Active community participation, trustful relationships between stakeholders and communities, and an appreciation of cultural differences are seen to increase the effectiveness of these interventions.

Conclusion: The findings of this review aim to inform policymakers, practitioners and researchers about the potential and challenges of arts-based health interventions in remote and marginalised communities.

Background: Museum-led dementia care programmes enable social and cognitive outcomes for people living with dementia and their caregivers. However, the long-term effects on informal caregivers and the scalability of these interventions remain under-researched.

Methods: A systematic search in 3 databases followed PRISMA guidelines, focusing on studies from 2004 to 2024 in Australia, Europe and North America. The study aimed to map the existing evidence on the impact of museum-led interventions for informal dementia caregivers, and identify the mechanisms supporting their wellbeing.

Results: Out of 272 identified papers, 7 met the inclusion criteria. These studies demonstrated medium-high quality and highlighted the positive impact of museum-led programmes on caregivers' wellbeing.

Conclusions: Museum-led programmes are a valuable component of comprehensive dementia care, emphasising the need to integrate cultural interventions into health and social care policies to support informal caregivers' wellbeing. Future research should assess long-term impacts, scalability, and integration into diverse care settings.

Background: Existing literature acknowledges photography's potential as a supportive psychosocial intervention for parents experiencing perinatal loss. However, empirical research that centres bereaved parents' lived experiences remains limited.

Methods: To explore the meaning of photography in the context of perinatal loss, a qualitative approach was utilised, combining life story and semi-structured interviews with bereaved parents (seven interviews, including two dyadic; n = 9).

Results: Photography was described as one among several forms of memorabilia, yet distinguished by its tangibility and shareability. Parents discussed a spectrum of photographic representations - from raw to serene - shaped by factors such as the photographer's professional background. The photographs fulfilled multiple functions, including sharing the child with the outside world, facilitating conversations, and connecting with peers. For some, engaging with photography fostered a more active and engaged role towards other bereaved parents. However, this engagement was not always met with social acceptance.

Conclusion: Our research shows the value of photography in the context of perinatal loss while also pointing to several recommendations at the level of bereavement care in hospital policies and practices (e.g. facilitating collaboration with professional photographers).

This poem aims to explore the intersections of chronic illness, bodily awareness, and emotional resilience through reflective narrative. The poem sets out to shed light on how medical crisis can catalyze a deeper and more profound relationship with the body and the self. Often overlooked until failure, the body becomes central in moments of severe illness-inviting reflection, soul-searching, and redefinition of what it means to live well under challenging circumstances. The poem examines the psychosocial dimensions of chronic care, emphasizing themes of loss, acceptance, and hope. It also highlights how poetry can help both patients and healthcare providers express the shifting emotional landscape of ongoing treatment. In doing so, it contributes to a broader conversation about how creative practices can support patient agency, build empathy in clinical settings, and nurture emotional strength amid continued medical challenges.

This poem explores how dance can support holistic well-being by uniting movement with emotion and self-expression. Through metaphor and verse, it seeks to capture the transformative power of dance as it moves through the physical, mental, and spiritual layers of the self. Rather than seeing dance solely as performance or art, the poem presents it as a deeply human practice-one that fosters self-awareness, sharpens the senses, and nurtures deep joy. By highlighting the instinctive and emotional nature of movement, the poem adds to the wider conversation about how the arts can promote health, emotional resilience, and social connection. Ultimately, it draws attention to the therapeutic possibilities of dance in both clinical and community settings, encouraging healthcare professionals and researchers to view creative expression not just as complementary, but as central to physical healing, psychological flourishing, and overall well-being.

Background: To further understand how arts participation leads to health and wellbeing outcomes, we present video analysis of five different arts activities online that enables an examination of older adults' experiences over time.

Methods: A two-staged analysis of recordings of nineteen older adults ( > 55 y) used quantitative analysis of coded verbal contributions, followed by qualitative content analysis of two case-studies.

Results: Unprompted verbal contributions were more frequent and increased more strongly over time in visual arts compared to more information-based disciplines. Qualitative case studies showcased how positive outcomes of creative workshop participation may manifest gradually over time, or in contrast as part of subtle, pivotal moments of reorientation.

Conclusions: This research developed a nuanced video analysis method to evaluate experiences of creative arts workshops. Such methodologies are essential for distinguishing the impact of interventions, allowing for a differentiated approach in prescribing arts interventions for health and wellbeing outcomes.

Background: Arts-in-health interventions increasingly demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness in improving anxiety and wellbeing outcomes through engagement by hospital inpatients with dementia. We aimed to demonstrate the practicality of digital and traditional group artmaking and understand potential impact on patient anxiety and wellbeing.

Methods: The 3-arm controlled study design included control, traditional artmaking and digital artmaking groups. Outcome measures were State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Generic Wellbeing Questionnaire and Observational Measure of Engagement.

Results: We measured a decline in anxiety among the traditional art group (n = 30), with no change among the digital artmaking group (n = 30) or control group (n = 30). We measured positive wellbeing among both intervention groups, but not the control group. Engagement attitude was more positive in the traditional group than the digital group.

Conclusions: We found that group arts engagement was a feasible and promising intervention. We raise further questions for expanded uses of digital tablets in activities for hospital inpatients with dementia.