Arts for the Blues: Towards integrating the use of the arts in healthcare and cultural settings to tackle depression and improve wellbeing in the NW

Lead Research Organisation: Edge Hill University
Department Name: Applied Health & Social Care

Abstract

In this project we will develop a strategy for making the Arts for the Blues intervention easily available to adults and children struggling with depression, low mood or anxiety. This group therapy uses visual arts, music, dance, drama and creative writing to address psychological difficulties and strengthen resources for managing them. Participants are encouraged to actively engage with simple arts-making activities with a clear therapeutic intent. These activities may include: breathing exercises to manage anxiety, free writing to support self-expression; mirroring tasks to develop relationships, use of objects to share difficult stories, engagement in rhythmical connections to address isolation (see www.artsfortheblues.com for further details on the intervention and relevant audio-visual material).

Evidence suggests that arts-based interventions are more accessible and attractive for people who find it difficult to talk about their problems or who are seeking an alternative to talking therapies. This could include adults and children from diverse backgrounds, refugees and migrant communities, and those struggling with loneliness and isolation. The Arts for the Blues intervention was first developed to address mental health concerns in inner city neighbourhoods in Manchester and has since been successfully piloted in charities and schools in the North West of England, an area faced with long standing health inequalities. Participants in the arts-based groups showed marked psychological outcomes including lower scores of depression and anxiety and improved wellbeing, life functioning and social communication.

In this project we will therefore ask the question:
How can the Arts for the Blues intervention be scaled up for integration within healthcare and cultural organisations to tackle depression and improve wellbeing in communities across the North West of England?

In order to answer this question, we will bring together artists, health professionals, existing networks and partnerships in three events in order to co-create a strategy for making the intervention readily available across the region. We will also offer workshops, focus groups and training to at least one healthcare and one cultural organisation.

Throughout the process we will work alongside our Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group to ensure our target beneficiaries have a voice. The group currently includes people using psychological services who have attended Arts for the Blues groups and will be expanded to include PPI members from project partners.

Methodologically, we will adopt a realist evaluation approach which will allow us to develop a strategy that is scalable, sustainable, aligned with systems thinking and promises to offer solutions to long-standing health inequalities in the region and beyond.

Over the lifetime of the project, we will produce an online toolkit to include case examples and training materials, a film with the main findings and user testimonies, and a plan for the integration of this creative form of therapy in different settings.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Title Highlights from scaling up the Arts for the Blues project 
Description These are highlights from the stakeholder and training events when scaling up the Arts for the Blues project: https://artsfortheblues.com/post-2/ 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2023 
Impact This video shares highlights on the spread and width of stakeholder involvement (health, community and cultural organisations) and training opportunities offered to diverse practitioners (therapists and councillors, artists and arts therapists). 
URL https://artsfortheblues.com/post-2/
 
Description Our study allowed us not only to identify helpful mechanisms of how to scale up specific projects but also to formulate a unique scaling up strategy for place-based arts initiatives that support mental health and wellbeing. As a result, we are able to propose actionable recommendations for the wider healthcare system and the cultural sector, focusing on opportunities that can overcome implementation barriers.
Exploitation Route Arts for the Blues, our test project, by the end of our study there were several organisations that considered it as part of routine delivery in the UK (including two NHS Talking Therapies services, two cultural organisations and two mental health charities). It is also in the process of being offered as a routine treatment option in three NHS CAMHS in the North West and under discussions for international delivery (in Pakistan and Malaysia).
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

Other

URL https://artsfortheblues.com
 
Description By the end of the study, Arts for the Blues, our test project, has been adopted by several organisations as part of routine delivery (including two NHS Talking Therapies services, two cultural organisations and two mental health charities). It is also in the process of being offered as a routine treatment option in three NHS CAMHS in the North West and under discussions for international delivery (in Pakistan and Malaysia).
 
Description Two stakeholders' events (one in-person and one online) and four training days for frontline staff (two in-person and two online) from 16/06/2022 to 20/01/2023.
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description A creative 12 session group therapy for depression (Arts for the Blues) - a feasibility study and pre/post evaluation in NHS Talking Therapies (previously IAPT)
Amount £29,992 (GBP)
Organisation Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust 
Sector Hospitals
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2023 
End 04/2024
 
Description Arts for the Blues: CPD training on safe uses of the arts to support mental health and wellbeing
Amount £49,895 (GBP)
Funding ID AH/Y005643/1 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2023 
End 07/2024
 
Description Arts4Us: Working together to scale up place-based arts initiatives that support the mental health of children and young people
Amount £2,499,690 (GBP)
Funding ID AH/Z505493/1 (APP4917) 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2024 
End 01/2027
 
Title Arts for the Blues: Theme Tables for Stakeholder and Trainee Events 
Description This dataset is raw data from the AHRC-funded project titled: 'Arts for the Blues: Towards integrating the use of the arts in healthcare and cultural settings to tackle depression and improve wellbeing in the North West of England'.It consists of responses to questions asked to stakeholders and trainees at workshops, focus groups and training events with healthcare and cultural organisations and with target beneficiaries from our Patient and Public Involvement group. The data is linked to an article submitted to PLOS ONE: 'Developing a Strategy to Scale up Place-Based Arts Initiatives that Support Mental Health and Wellbeing: A Realist Evaluation of 'Arts for the Blues'.' A link to the article will be provided when it is published. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact it enable the publication of key results at PLOS ONE. 
URL https://figshare.edgehill.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Arts_for_the_Blues_Theme_Tables_for_Stakeholder_and...
 
Title Scaling up place-based arts initiatives that support mental health and wellbeing 
Description Scaling up place-based arts initiatives that support mental health and wellbeing is a frame developed by this research which we intend to use as an broad evaluation framework at the new Arts4Us project and test it for relevance when working with children and young people. 
Type Products with applications outside of medicine
Current Stage Of Development Small-scale adoption
Year Development Stage Completed 2023
Development Status Actively seeking support
Impact This will be tested with over 50 partners in the new Arts4Us project. 
URL https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/document/research-centre-for-arts-wellbeing-report/?_gl=1*1szg2uv*_ga*MTY...
 
Description Public event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Arts for the Wellbeing of All: New Horizons in Research (20 June 2024)
In this event we made the case that the arts can support the wellbeing of all. We launched our strategy of how to scale up place-based arts initiatives that can support mental health and wellbeing, and will benefit a wide range of people including individuals and communities that are disadvantaged or marginalised.

The event included performances, workshops, presentations with keynote contributions from the Arts and Humanities Research Council programme lead, the National Centre for Arts and Wellbeing as well as representatives from WHO and the CEO of the Arts Council, offering rich experiences to participants in person and online. The voices of people with lived experience framed the presentations to what matters to people participating in the arts.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/rcaw/events/rcaw-launch/