Dataset Information

Assessing the impact of artistic and cultural activities on the health and well-being of forcibly displaced people using participatory action research.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Drawing on a growing body of research suggesting that taking part in artistic and cultural activities benefits health and well-being, the objective was to develop a participatory action research (PAR) method for assessing the impact of arts interventions on forcibly displaced people, and identify themes concerning perceived benefits of such programmes.

Design

A collaborative study following PAR principles of observation, focus groups and in-depth semistructured interviews.

Setting

London-based charity working with asylum seekers and refugees.

Participants

An opportunity sample (n=31; 6 males) participated in focus groups comprising refugees/asylum seekers (n=12; 2 males), volunteers (n=4; 1 males) and charity staff (n=15; 3 males). A subset of these (n=17; 3 males) participated in interviews comprising refugees/asylum seekers (n=7; 1 males), volunteers (n=7; 1 males) and charity staff (n=3; 1 males).

Results

Focus group findings showed that participants articulated the impact of creative activities around three main themes: skills, social engagement and personal emotions that were explored during in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted in NVivo 11 and findings showed that artistic and cultural activities impacted positively by helping participants find a voice, create support networks and learn practical skills useful in the labour market.

Conclusions

The study expanded on arts and well-being research by exploring effects of cultural and creative activities on the psychosocial well-being of refugees and asylum seekers. By focusing on the relationship between arts, well-being and forced displacement, the study was instrumental in actively trying to change the narrative surrounding refugees and asylum seekers, often depicted in negative terms in the public sphere.

SUBMITTER: Clini C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6398658 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Assessing the impact of artistic and cultural activities on the health and well-being of forcibly displaced people using participatory action research.

Clini Clelia C Thomson Linda J M LJM Chatterjee Helen J HJ

BMJ open 20190220 2

<h4>Objective</h4>Drawing on a growing body of research suggesting that taking part in artistic and cultural activities benefits health and well-being, the objective was to develop a participatory action research (PAR) method for assessing the impact of arts interventions on forcibly displaced people, and identify themes concerning perceived benefits of such programmes.<h4>Design</h4>A collaborative study following PAR principles of observation, focus groups and in-depth semistructured interview ...[more]

PMID: 30787093

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Project description:Background and objectivesPhysical impairments affect a substantial number of older adults in the United States, with rates increasing with advancing age. Impairment is linked with compromised well-being, although the reasons are not fully understood. We explore the extent to which linkages between impairment severity and well-being are accounted for by older adults' daily activities. We speculate that activities may influence global appraisals of well-being by offering the opportunity to fulfill productive and social roles and may influence daily emotions by shaping the context (places, people) in which life occurs.Research design and methodWe examine the effects of impairment severity on life satisfaction and four diary-based experienced well-being measures (happiness, frustration, worry, and sadness). Data are from the Disability and Use of Time supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (n = 1,606), a national sample of adults ages 60 years and older in the United States. We estimate nested regression models, taking into account within-person correlations for experienced well-being.ResultsImpairment severity is associated with poorer assessments of life satisfaction and all four dimensions of experienced well-being. Activity measures, which encompass eight productive (e.g., household chores) and three leisure (e.g., socializing) activities, account for 10% of the association between impairment and life satisfaction, and virtually none of the association between impairment and experienced well-being. However, psychosocial factors including higher neuroticism, lower self-efficacy, and poorer quality social relationships account for a sizeable share of the associations.Discussion and implicationsRole-fulfilling aspects of activities appear to be more central than contextual aspects of activities to the impairment-well-being relationship. However, potentially modifiable psychosocial factors account for a much greater share of this relationship. Further research is needed on whether interventions targeting these psychosocial factors might bolster emotional well-being for older adults experiencing impairments.

Dataset Information

Assessing the impact of artistic and cultural activities on the health and well-being of forcibly displaced people using participatory action research.

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Assessing the impact of artistic and cultural activities on the health and well-being of forcibly displaced people using participatory action research.

Similar Datasets

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