New roles for art galleries: Art-viewing as a community intervention for family carers of people with mental health problems

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to understand the psychological and social aspects of how art-viewing, in a public art gallery, could be used as an activity to support family carers of people with mental health problems. Methods: Using grounded theory methodology, interviews from eight carer-participants and two facilitator-participants were analysed, along with podcasts created from audio-recordings of the gallery sessions. Results: Art-viewing was conceptualised as an experience that engaged carers on emotional, aesthetic and educational levels. Psychological processes such as mentalising, reflexivity and externalising were identified in the responses stimulated by art-viewing. Conclusions: The findings suggest that art-viewing in a group within a gallery setting has the potential to be used more widely as a community-based, low-cost and nonclinical activity to provide social and psychological support for carers of people with mental-health problems.

Coffee, Cake & Culture: Evaluation of an art for health programme for older people in the community

“…It was noted that living in a care home can be socially isolating and such trips were beneficial and enjoyable, in keeping with other studies (Cameron et al, 2013;Roberts, Camic, & Springham, 2011;Swindells et al, 2013). Benefits were not just limited to the visits but continued in terms of friendships between residents, care staff seeing older people in a new light because of social interaction and creative activity.…”

“…Older people were viewed as citizens in their own right with stories, life experiences and creative abilities that had been dormant. Participating in the programme provided opportunity to enrich people's lives, wellbeing and quality of life in keeping with findings of others (Cameron et al, 2013;Chatterjee et al, 2009;Roberts et al, 2011;Rosenberg et al, 2009;Swindells et al, 2013) and the basis for the arts for health initiatives locally, nationally and globally.…”

“…As each session was stand alone, older people and care staff who could not attend all of the programme but only individual sessions were able to benefit. This format differs to and builds on other arts for health programme initiatives (MacPherson et al, 2009;Roberts et al, 2011;Rosenberg, 2009;Rosenberg et al, 2009;Swindells et al, 2013) and means that older people can see the benefits of their creative activity within one session as opposed to over weeks, which is a traditional occupational therapy approach in institutional settings. The future plan is to continue offering the programme as universal pre-bookable sessions to a wide variety of care homes/supported living within the community rather than specifically targeting individual homes.…”

Viewing and making art together: a multi-session art-gallery-based intervention for people with dementia and their carers

“…Recent research using gallery and museum collections has documented a range of advances in this area. Roberts, Camic, and Springham (2011) have developed a theoretical understanding of how viewing art in a gallery could psychologically support carers of family members with severe mental health problems. Chatterjee, Vreeland, and Noble (2009) demonstrated that handling museum objects enhanced selfreported patient life satisfaction and health status on in-patient medical wards.…”

Effects of a museum-based social prescription intervention on quantitative measures of psychological wellbeing in older adults

“…Despite their recent emergence into socially prescribed programmes, 'museums as local community resources are well-placed to offer public health interventions that are community-based, low-cost and nonclinical' (p. 146). 13 Furthermore, the 'role and value of museums in contributing to wellbeing or wellness agendas' was seen to merit broader exploration to 'reflect on the fit with a wider healthcare landscape' of social prescribing and other key health priorities (p. 10). 14 The first documented museum-based social prescribing scheme was 'Art-based information Prescription' held at Tate Britain; 15 others include 'recollection' at the Holburne Museum in Bath in 2014, 'Memory Lane Prescription for reminiscence' at Oxford University Museums in 2015, and the 'Paper Apothecary' at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury in 2013, the latter being by self-referral.…”