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 September 2021:

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• Cultural engagement is associated with better subsequent mental health, with results strongest for people living in more deprived areas.

• A community-based social-psychological intervention can have positive effects on subjective wellbeing and pro-sociality for adults.

• Participants of social prescribing initiatives designed to address loneliness feel less lonely and more connected, but more research is needed.

• Participation in everyday creative experiences can lead to a sense of achievement and purpose, providing support and structure for older people.

• A dance intervention designed to prevent falls for older people can reduce falls by 58% and have the potential to be cost saving for the NHS.

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Previously recommended articles: 

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• Facilitating participation in community arts groups could help to promote healthy aging, enabling more fulfilling and satisfying lives

• An online creative intervention has improved mood and wellbeing for 55 adults, with the pattern of clinically significant change comparable to other psychological therapy

• Increased connectedness to nature may lead to healthier and more sustainable food choices for primary healthcare professionals

• A systematic review of music therapy interventions for stroke patients has found almost 80% to show a positive result, supporting physical and mental health

• Volunteering can assist in personal growth and development, providing a purposeful and meaningful way to develop connections with others

• An intergenerational arts and health project has supported psychological well-being for participants, carers and artists

• Music interventions may reduce pain, improve treatment readiness and motivation, and reduce cravings for those with substance use disorder

• How online singing groups for people with dementia may be effective has been explored, suggesting there is growing acceptability of digital interventions 

• During the pandemic, gardening, reading, hobbies, and listening to music have been associated with improvements to mental health and well-being 

• Arts-based interventions may be effective in addressing suicide risk and survivorship in nonclinical settings

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• Active engagement in artistic and creative activities is associated with reduced odds of depression in older adults 

• Art boxes can support parents and infants to share creative interactions at home during the pandemic, improving parental confidence and wellbeing 

• Instagram artists can engage online communities and promote mental health awareness using mental health art hashtags

• Noticing nature can play a role in people’s wellbeing such as feeling one’s life is worthwhile and promote pro-nature behaviours 

• Participation in community gardening programs can enhance wellbeing through providing a sense of belonging and developing positive feelings through doing

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

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

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

• 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. 

• 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.

• 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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