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 Objectives:Physical 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 Method:We 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. Results:Impairment 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 Implications:Role-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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