Remotely and collaboratively evaluating a campus-based therapy dog program during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the wellbeing of university students and adults in general, emphasizing the need for mental health programming that was compliant with physical distancing mandates. The present evaluation investigated mental health and social connection within the context of COVID-19 by remotely evaluating a virtual animal-assisted activity at the University of Saskatchewan - PAWS Your Stress. The purpose of this article is to outline our evaluation methods and findings, while calling specific attention to the collaborative strategies that were implemented within a remote, time-sensitive context. The evaluation findings revealed that remote animal-assisted programming can facilitate connections with humans and animals, and promote multiple mental health benefits, despite the lack of physical interaction with the animals. Our lessons learned indicate that remote program logic modelling workshops are feasible when suited to audience demographics. Further, our experience suggests that the Most Significant Change technique (a qualitative, participatory, storytelling method that elicits outcome data) can be useful in time-restricted evaluations, and the necessity of central steps in the process may vary depending on evaluation goals. This project has implications for future evaluation work, by demonstrating the effective use of remote methods that allowed for successful stakeholder collaboration.

A mixed methods exploration of "Creativity in Mind", an online creativity-based intervention for low mood and anxiety

BACKGROUND

Within the current context of a global pandemic, the value of the Internet has been greatly elevated for many people. This study is an investigation into a 30-day online intervention called Creativity in Mind (CIM).

AIMS

To provide a preliminary indication of the relationship between participation in CIM and change in mood symptoms and wellbeing.

METHODS

A co-produced mixed methods design was used to evaluate CIM. Data was obtained from 55 participants. Each day for 30 days participants received a predetermined creative challenge that they were encouraged to complete and share within the group. Measures of mood and wellbeing were collected at three time points, including a 3-month follow-up. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with 18 participants and analysed using framework analysis.

RESULTS

Scores on mood and wellbeing measures showed an overall significant improvement following completion of the programme. However, only a small number of participants demonstrated clinically significant improvement (14%) or deterioration (5%). The qualitative data indicated that CIM was experienced positively, with some negative emotions arising from the volume of interactions and negative comparisons made between participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary results demonstrate that the pattern of clinically significant change across individual participants was comparable to other psychological therapy.

Educating Australian musicians: are we playing it safe?

The effectiveness of health promotion through arts engagement, and the health benefits and social importance of music in particular, are becoming increasingly recognized. However, like sport, music-making is an athletic endeavour, one that often involves high physiological and psychological loadings on the bodies and minds of musicians. Research over the past 30 years has revealed alarming rates of injury among musicians, and has identified health risk factors associated with music performance faced by professional and student musicians. Australia lacks consistent provision of essential health education for musicians, and research shows an unacceptably high prevalence of performance-related health problems among musicians of all ages. This article advocates for effective health promotion to be embraced in the policies and practices of Australian music performance organizations and educational bodies. It argues that a cultural shift is required, recognizing that a settings-based approach to health literacy is as fundamentally important for musicians as it is for any other occupation or athletic activity. Embedding health education into the delivery of music education will not only help to prevent injury over the lifespan of Australian musicians, it will support and sustain their capacity to contribute towards societal wellbeing and public health outcomes.

Recovery and creative practices in people with severe mental illness: evaluating well-being and social inclusion

PURPOSE

This mixed (quantitative-qualitative) study evaluates the impact of an artistic workshop on a group of people with severe mental illness (SMI). This study focuses on the impact of creative practices on well-being and social inclusion outcomes.

METHOD

After participating in a creative workshop, 31 people diagnosed with a SMI completed pre/post-intervention measures, namely, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale and the Social Inclusion questionnaire. It was applied in two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. The statistic Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis were applied for non-parametric data to measure pre/post-test effects and workshop experience effects, respectively. In addition to quantitative measures, one observer participated in each workshop that ran in parallel in order to deepen and triangulate quantitative outcomes.

RESULTS

The qualitative and quantitative results show that social inclusion improved in a significant way with an important size effect. Psychological wellbeing increased significantly with a low size effect.

CONCLUSIONS

In accordance with these results, creative practices with people diagnosed with SMI are recommended. In order to increase the impact of these interventions, it is recommended to utilize public space away from clinical environments and to include people without SMI in creative activities together with SMI patients. Implications for Rehabilitation: Creative practices can significantly improve social inclusions and well-being in people with severe mental illness. Participating in creative workshops helps to elaborate personal meanings and promote recovery. Creative practices in mental health services can challenge professional roles and institutional practices. Participation of people with and without severe mental illness engaged together in artistic activities can decrease public stigma.

The Impact of Arts Activity on Nursing Staff Well-Being: An Intervention in the Workplace

Over 59 million workers are employed in the healthcare sector globally, with a daily risk of being exposed to a complex variety of health and safety hazards. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of arts activity on the well-being of nursing staff. During October-December 2014, 115 nursing staff working in a hospital, took part in this study, which lasted for 10 weeks. The intervention group (n = 56) took part in silk painting activities once a week. Data was collected using socio-demographic questions, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, Short Form-36 Health Survey questionnaire, Reeder stress scale, and Multidimensional fatigue inventory (before and after art activities in both groups). Statistical data analysis included descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation), non-parametric statistics analysis (Man Whitney U Test; Wilcoxon signed-ranks test), Fisher's exact test and reliability analysis (Cronbach's Alpha). The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. In the intervention group, there was a tendency for participation in arts activity having a positive impact on their general health and mental well-being, reducing stress and fatigue, awaking creativity and increasing a sense of community at work. The control group did not show any improvements. Of the intervention group 93% reported enjoyment, with 75% aspiring to continue arts activity in the future. This research suggests that arts activity, as a workplace intervention, can be used to promote nursing staff well-being at work.