Receptive Arts Engagement for Health: A Holistic and Trans-Disciplinary Approach to Creating a Multisensory Environment

Abstract

Multisensory environments are increasingly being used in health care settings with reported benefits including relaxation, supporting self-regulation, enhancing mood, and reducing chronic pain. However, limited research exists that explores the impact of multisensory environment design on engagement. In response, this article presents a qualitative study exploring the creative design attributes that cultivated participant engagement and shaped their overall experience of spending time in an artistically created multisensory environment: the Sensory-Art Space (SAS). A maximum variation approach to sampling was used to select 18 participants. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim before being analyzed thematically. Our findings produced three key themes. The first two themes were: the ambience of everything and variation: it’s always my choice, which identified aspects of the artistic design that fostered engagement and the sense of connection and ownership of the SAS captured in the third theme, a space that’s yours. Based on analysis of participant responses, creative design considerations were identified that could assist the development of future multisensory spaces and highlighted the importance of a holistic and curatorial approach to enhance engagement value.

Sensory Design in the Birth Environment: Learning from Existing Case Studies

“…Multisensory environments were first developed in the 1970s [55] to both stimulate and to help self-regulate all the senses, with the aim of generating positive sensations and emotions, reducing stress, promoting relaxation and sense of choice and control acquisition or recovery [1,2]. This aim has particular meaning to fragile or sensitive users, as environmental flexibility and customisation allows users to self-regulate and rebalance according to their sensory preferences.…”

“…Sensory environments represent spaces where sensory stimulations such as light, sound, colours, etc., can be controlled to affect experiences, e.g., stress in patients and staff [1][2][3][4]. These stimulations are important aspects in contributing to the environmental comfort in healthcare spaces [1,[5][6][7] and have been found to support health and wellbeing outcomes in clinical settings [1]. Sensory environments can benefit and stimulate relaxation, self-regulation, positive emotions, and the reduction of chronic pain [1,2,[7][8][9].…”

“…These stimulations are important aspects in contributing to the environmental comfort in healthcare spaces [1,[5][6][7] and have been found to support health and wellbeing outcomes in clinical settings [1]. Sensory environments can benefit and stimulate relaxation, self-regulation, positive emotions, and the reduction of chronic pain [1,2,[7][8][9]. Emotions and feelings play a central role in behaviour regulation and decision making [10].…”

“…Limited research exists that investigates how to design multisensory environments or how different design features impact wellbeing and health outcomes [1,20]. This paper aims at learning from existing case studies to define a framework of requirements to design sensory spaces for birthing in healthcare settings and to support architects and professionals.…”

Smart Waiting Room: A Systematic Literature Review and a Proposal

“…Enriching the sensory input in an environment, such as through the therapeutic use of multisensory environments, has been found to achieve health and well-being outcomes in clinical settings [79]. The benefits of sensory spaces have been shown for mental health, psychiatric wards, people with dementia, people with autism spectrum disorder, people with traumatic brain injuries, the birthing environment, children, emergency departments, etc.…”