Resources

videos * research * newsletters

For a sample of some of the research in this field, see the suggested reading below.

Each month, we will add a sample of new papers to the list. You can recommend papers by tweeting them @NetworkMARCH

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Recommended articles for March 2021:

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1. Asset-based community engagement with artists can create a community dialogue about the causes of diabetes and prevention strategies. 

2. An art exhibition has been used to understand children’s perspectives of the pandemic situation. 

3. An article exploring online community engagement in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic has been published. 

4. A mixed-methods review of participatory arts interventions has noted perceived benefits to mental health, but it highlights the dearth of studies focused on men. 

5. A review has explored the effects of performing arts participation, including noting that positive health effects were associated with as little as 30-60 minutes of participation.

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Previously recommended articles: 

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• Online singing groups for those with COPD may reduce depression and improve balance confidence.

• A novel, multi-centre cultural intervention can result in a range of positive mental health impacts for those with a history of problematic substance use.

• It has been proposed that engaging in creativity may buffer against the negative effects of living through the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Musical activities have been used to cope with the lockdown, improving perception of the value of music in personal and social wellbeing.

• A study exploring the sustainability of Men’s Sheds (community-based support for men) has set out a series of policy recommendations.

• A systematic review of social group interventions for depression has found they are an effective non-clinical approach to manage mild to moderate symptoms in a variety of populations

• A systematic review of creative arts interventions has found that music and art may offer a range of psychosocial benefits for older informal caregivers of people with neurological conditions

• Group music making has been shown to support the wellbeing of nursing home residents, offering engagement and novelty in daily life and facilitating interpersonal relationships.

• Patient-preferred live music has been found to improve positive affect and decrease pain in adults hospitalised on a post-surgical oncology unit

• Ornamental plants introduced to urban residential gardens can have a positive effect on residents’ stress regulation and some aspects of subjective well-being

• Creative group interventions with theatre-based components improve positive mental health in community-dwelling older adults 

• Group singing for carers of people with Parkinson’s Disease can fulfil basic psychological needs 

• Volunteering is associated with improvements in the wellbeing of older people, particularly if people engage in multiple different volunteering activities

• 12-week programmes of art workshops as part of arts-on-prescription services can improve contentment, calmness and alertness for adults aged 25-75 

• Group music and movement classes as part of music early learning services can support emotional development in young children and promote parental wellbeing

• Arts and cultural engagement vary geographically, such as in relation to neighbourhood characteristics (e.g. level of area deprivation)

• Gardens and gardening can improve the health and wellbeing of people with a range of health and social needs

• Barriers and enablers to social prescribing for patients with mental health problems have been elucidated, recommending a more systematic feedback structure for GPs and more formal training around social prescribing

• Combined arts- and nature-based museum interventions can improve psychosocial wellbeing for adult mental health service users

• Four pathways by which music participation supports mental wellbeing have been identified: managing and expressing emotions, facilitating self-development, providing respite, and facilitating connections

• Horticulture and creating art programmes can increase self-esteem and wellbeing and decrease social isolation in adults with mental illness. 

• Community and voluntary sector representatives need longer term funding, training on commissioning, mental health support and safeguarding to help them to support people with mental illnesses. 

• Community-level civic participation is associated with lower depressive symptoms in men and women and can help to protect against depression in men who are widowed or living alone.

• Emotional “buy-in” from all stakeholders is an essential component of success for a developing rural social prescribing scheme 

• Engaging in adventure nature activities (“nature and adventure tourism”) is reported to have emotional benefits, improve recovery from stress and enhance one’s worldview

• Participating in a community choir can reduce loneliness amongst older adults from diverse ethnic backgrounds

• Participating in more hours of leisure time physical activity is associated with a lower risk of depression

• A weekly participatory art-based activity at a museum can improve wellbeing, quality of life and frailty in older adults

• Participating in singing groups improves vocal loudness, voice-related quality of life and reduces anxiety in adults with Parkinson’s Disease, and reduces stress and depression in their caregivers

• Participating in and exhibiting art can help recovery from mental health challenges through providing structure, building community and creating personal stories

• ‘Green exercise' (physical activity in nature) improves mental wellbeing, especially for people with low wellbeing

• Dance programmes can have psychosocial benefits such as increased cross—community friendships, intercultural awareness and self- confidence 

• Frequent arts participation and cultural attendance is associated with lower levels of mental distress and higher levels of life satisfaction

• ‘Colouring in’ as a sustained hobby can lead to improved wellbeing through the mechanisms of meditation, mindfulness and self-care

• Participating in sewing as a leisure activity contributes to psychological wellbeing through increasing pride and enjoyment, self-awareness, and 'flow' in younger women 

• Undertaking a 'digital daily practice', such as taking a photo or creative writing and then sharing online, can lead to improved wellbeing 

• Walking in nature can improve mood more than watching nature scenes on TV or walking on a treadmill in a gym 

• Creative writing can contribute to emotional wellbeing through communication and emotional expression 

• Creative activity undertaken daily is linked to positive psychological functioning ​

• Veterans taking part in a rehabilitative archaeological dig report significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptom severity, and a significant improvement in wellbeing. Increased engagement with arts events, historical sites, and museums is associated with improved life satisfaction.

• Increased engagement with arts events, historical sites, and museums is associated with improved life satisfaction

• Participating in singing groups can have an impact on wellbeing for women, through social connection leading to increased self-confidence, self-esteem, social inclusion, and joy

• West African dance workshops have been reported to lead to psychological benefits such as stress and anxiety relief, and improvement in mood.

• Participants in arts on prescription workshops experienced a significant increase in global wellbeing, through reduction in nerves, stress and anxiety

• Older people regularly attending theatre performances experienced improved positive mood, leading to enhanced wellbeing

• Long term and frequent engagement with arts activities such as attending theatre/concerts/opera and museums/galleries/exhibitions is associated with higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction in older adults

• Participants in an 'arts on prescription' project in Denmark reported an array of mental health benefits, including increased self-esteem and joy, and reduced panic attacks

• A systematic review of green walking groups has found evidence to support improvements to mood and symptoms of depression in adults with experience of mental illness

• Joining multi-activity community groups helps to maintain quality of life in older people, through stress relief and enjoyment

• Participating in a community-based music intervention can lead to increased self-confidence and sense of connection for disadvantaged young people

• Attending performances at a regional theatre is associated with increased wellbeing, and a sense of community

• Walking, conservation activities and taking part in citizen science in a public green space are all associated with improved

• Participation in community based recreation supports recovery from mental illness in several ways, including through building confidence, self-determination, and finding balance

• People who are more connected to nature report higher eudaimonic wellbeing and personal growth

• Participants report that taking part in community singing workshops plays a key role in maintaining or improving their mental health and well-being 

• A social prescribing scheme employing 'Wellbeing Coordinators' has been found to improve wellbeing, perceived health and social connectedness and reduces anxiety 

•  An app prompting users to engage with urban nature significantly has been found to improve wellbeing and quality of life, when compared with a built space control 

• Arts based recovery college courses are associated with significantly improved mental wellbeing and increased social inclusion 

• Taking part in volunteering can provide a buffer against the effects of low self-esteem on wellbeing and sense of belonging in older adults 

• Playing in community brass bands reduces stress, improves general mental health and provides regular social interaction.

• Participating in scouts or guides is associated with improved mental health, and narrowed health inequalities at age 50

• Young people experience wellbeing benefits from participation in arts activities through joining in, and developing skills and gaining experience

• Walking groups provide a 'lifeline' for older women, particularly at times of life disruption  

• People with depression experience similar benefits for emotional regulation from arts activities as the general population 

• Community embedded circus-arts workshops improve children's wellbeing and resilience.

• Nature based interventions can promote wellbeing by changing behaviour, and factors have been identified that influence their success.

• Participation in Arts on Prescription schemes significantly improves the mental wellbeing of older people living in the community, alongside fostering a sense of purpose and achievement.

• Taking part in volunteering activities are associated with improvements in subjective wellbeing.               

• Participating in community choirs provides a sense of personal fulfilment, community engagement and resilience, through providing opportunities for social cohesion, positive ageing and music learning.   

• Shared reading programs foster positive identities and self-worth amongst mothers who are separated from their children while in prison

• Volunteering promotes self-esteem and a sense of meaning of life among people with physical disabilities, where they also have family and economic support

• The number and area of parks and green spaces within walking distance is positively associated with local residents’ mental wellbeing

• Knitting as part of a guild promotes happiness, skills development, social connections and sustains identity

• Group singing significantly improves symptoms in mothers with moderate – severe postnatal depression

• Community gardening gives participants pride, purpose, and a feeling of social and community connection

• Participating in rural arts groups allows development of social connectedness, increases confidence and maintains wellbeing

• Wellbeing is raised by participation in both traditional textile crafting and e-textiles workshops

• The confidence and social interaction of prisoners is improved by a prison horticultural programme

• Older adults participating in group music making have consistently higher levels of wellbeing than those participating in other activities

• Community singing can reduce depression and anxiety in older people

• Group photography projects support mental health in women living with HIV, by self-expression, developing new skills, helping to process trauma and feel empowered

• Bibliotherapy helps to reduce adults’ long term depressive symptoms

• Engagement in community football contributes to positive experiences by providing social support and a common goal

• Exposure to outdoor blue spaces, such as lakes and rivers, benefits mental health and wellbeing

• Mental health scores improve significantly after participation in twice weekly jazz dance classes amongst college-age students

• Gardening interventions can improve the mental health of women in prison through improvements in relationships and building skills

• Participating in structured arts activities improves self-confidence, self-esteem, relationship building and sense of belonging in children and young people

• Volunteering can buffer against the effects of low self-esteem on mental wellbeing

• Participating in community theatre offers benefits to mental wellbeing through social interaction, building relationships and a sense of belonging in older adults

• Heritage has a positive impact on individual wellbeing (such as life satisfaction) and community wellbeing (such as social relationships and sense of belonging)  

• ‘Sense of Community’ is an important influence on the relationship between community participation and mental health for people with serious mental illness

• Active participation in rhythm-centred music making has positive benefits for psychological health in a range of age groups 

• Visiting and active use of urban blue spaces is associated with increased wellbeing in older adults 

• Craft making helps participants to cope with depression and negative feelings, and provides a source of social support and positive relationships 

• Attending museum-based social prescription interventions can improve wellbeing in older adults.

• Participating in community- based arts programmes can improve mental health 

• Walking groups in a deprived communities are sustained by shared health goals above and beyond sociability. 

• Social identity is a key predictor of quality of life among members of the community activity “Men’s Sheds”

• Nature engagement can benefit overall mental health, stress and resilience in children

• Two hours per week or more spent doing arts activities can increase mental well-being. 

• Allotment gardeners report better mental health and social cohesion, compared to non-gardeners.

• Reading groups help to mitigate feelings of distress 

• Participants in an arts programme based in galleries have improved mental wellbeing and an increased interest in art.  

• Community group membership (specifically arts, education and music activities) are associated with enhanced wellbeing in older age 

• Attending theatres, cinemas and museums is associated with a lower risk of developing depression in older age.

• Having local greenspace near to where we live is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction.

• Participatory theatre activities can support identity transformation and cultivate a sense of belonging amongst mental health service users.

• Engaging with visual arts can reduce reported anxiety and depression levels, and increase levels of positive mental wellbeing in adults with mental health conditions.

• People who volunteer have higher life satisfaction than non-volunteers, with benefits persisting even after volunteering ceases.​​​

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