Transformed ground, transformed body: clinical implications for dance movement therapy with forced migrants

"I didn't know I have the capacity to be creative": children's experiences of how creativity promoted their sense of well-being. A pilot randomised controlled study in school arts therapies

OBJECTIVES

Creativity has been found to be one of the key therapeutic elements in arts therapies. Arts therapies are psychotherapeutic approaches that aim to facilitate psychological change and personal growth through arts media, such as music, drama, dance, movement and virtual arts. This article presents the findings from children's experiences of participating in arts therapies, particularly those related to creativity.

STUDY DESIGN

This study followed a pilot randomised controlled design with embedded qualitative and arts-based methods. Sixty-two children with mild emotional and behavioural difficulties were recruited across four primary schools in North West England.

RESULTS

The creative activities with the greatest impact on children's health and well-being were as follows: a) story-making and story-telling; b) drawings; c) puppetry; d) songwriting; and e) empowerment activities. Based on the interviews with children, these activities led to emotional expression, group bonding, empowerment and optimism. The findings were discussed through the lenses of the empowerment theory and the PERMA theory of positive psychology.

CONCLUSIONS

Arts therapies allowed children to share experiences and emotions that they may not have otherwise expressed merely through verbal means. During a period where COVID-19 has disrupted academic schedules and sparked a transitional period at schools, opportunities for creativity and engagement with the arts may contribute significantly to support children's emerging health needs.

Process evaluation of TeamUp: a movement-based psychosocial intervention for refugee children in the Netherlands

BACKGROUND

Nearly 60,000 people applied for asylum in the Netherland in 2015, confronting the governmental structures and services with great administrative, logistical and service provision challenges. Refugee children's psychosocial needs and wellbeing are often overlooked, and post-migration support is of pivotal importance.

METHODS

An easy accessible movement-based psychosocial intervention, called TeamUp, was developed for children aged 6-17 living in refugee reception centres. A mixed-method process evaluation was conducted of (1) implementation process, assessing attendance (n = 2183 children, and n = 209 children); (2) implementation quality, using structured observations at two time points to evaluate facilitator's (2a) individual-level fidelity (n = 81 facilitators); (2b) team-level fidelity (n = 22 teams); (2c) facilitators' competencies (n = 81); (2d) trainee perceived self-efficacy pre-post training (n = 73); and (3) perceptions on implementation and outcomes, employing a survey (n = 99), focus group discussions and key informant interviews with children (n = 94), facilitators (n = 24) and reception centre staff (n = 10).

RESULTS

Attendance lists showed a mean of 8.5 children per session, and children attending 31.3% of sessions. Structured observations demonstrated 49.2% and 58.2% individual-level fidelity, 72.5% and 73.0% team-level fidelity, and 82.9% and 88.4% adequacy in competencies, each at T1 and T2 respectively. The main reported challenges included managing children's energy regulation (e.g. offering settling moments) and challenging behaviour. Training participation significantly improved perceived self-efficacy for trainees. The facilitator survey demonstrated on average, high satisfaction and self-efficacy, low experienced burden, and high perceived capacity-building support. Qualitatively, TeamUp was positively perceived by all stakeholders and was regarded as contributing to children's psychosocial outcomes.

CONCLUSION

(1) Attendance and group size were lower than expected. (2) The intervention's facilitator fidelity ranged from moderate to adequate-exhibiting a need for specific fidelity and capacity strengthening-while facilitator competencies were high. Trainee's perceived self-efficacy improved significantly following a 2-day training. (3) Facilitators expressed high levels of satisfaction, self-efficacy and support, and low burden. The intervention was positively perceived by all stakeholders and to have a positive impact on children's psychosocial learning and wellbeing.