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The art of being mentally healthy: a study to quantify the relationship between recreational arts engagement and mental well-being in the general population.

ABSTRACT: Little is known about the dose-response relationship between recreational arts engagement (for enjoyment, entertainment or as a hobby, rather than therapy) and mental well-being in the general population. The quantification of this relationship is of value to: (1) health professionals, clinicians and researchers interested in utilising the arts as a method for improving mental health; (2) to health promoters and policy makers in the development of population based health messages, policy and practice; and (3) to members of the general public in maintaining or improving their own well-being. As guided by theories of social epidemiology and the biopsychosocial model of health, the first aim of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between arts engagement (hours per year) and mental well-being in the general population. If an association was demonstrated, the second aim was to quantify this relationship.A random sample of 702 Western Australian adults aged 18+ years (response rate = 71%) were invited to take part in a telephone survey. The survey took 15 min to complete and included questions about arts engagement, mental well-being, demographics and potential confounders/effect modifiers. The dependent variable was subjective mental well-being (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, WEMWBS). The independent variable was hours engaged in the arts in the last 12 months.Respondent engagement in the arts ranged from zero to 1572 hours/year (mean = 100.8 hours/year, SD = 206.0). The prevalence of engagement was 83 %. The average WEMWBS score was 53 (SD = 7.4). After adjustment for demographics (i.e. sex, age group, location, income, education, marital status, children), general health, sports engagement, religious activities and holidays, respondents with high levels of arts engagement (100 or more hours/year, WEMWBS score = 55) had significantly better mental well-being than those with none (0 hours/year, WEMWBS score = 53), low (0.1-22.9 hours/year, WEMWBS score = 52) and medium (23-99.9 hours/year, WEMWBS score = 53) levels of engagement (p = 0.003). Respondents with none, low and medium arts engagement had similar WEMWBS scores (p = 0.358). The relationship between arts engagement and WEMWBS was nonlinear with evidence of a minimum threshold at 100 or more hours/year (p = 0.0006).Evidence of an arts-mental health relationship was found in this study. Those who engaged in 100 or more hours/year of arts engagement (i.e. two or more hours/week) reported significantly better mental well-being than other levels of engagement. The suitability of the arts as a population based strategy to influence the mental well-being of the general population should be investigated further.

SUBMITTER: Davies C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4702355 | biostudies-other | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the association of participation in arts and cultural activities with health behaviours and mental well-being in low-income populations in London.Study designCross-sectional, community-based observational study.MethodsData were taken from the cross-sectional baseline survey of the Well London cluster randomized trial, conducted during 2008 in 40 of the most deprived census lower super output areas in London (selected using the English Indices of Multiple Deprivation). Multiple imputation was used to account for missing data in the Well London survey. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to examine the association between participation in arts and cultural activities and physical activity (meeting target of five sessions of at least 30 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week), healthy eating (meeting target of at least five portions of fruit or vegetables per day) and mental well-being (Hope Scale score; feeling anxious or depressed).ResultsThis study found that levels of arts and cultural engagement in low-income groups in London are >75%, but this is well below the national average for England. Individuals who were more socially disadvantaged (unemployed, living in rented social housing, low educational attainment, low disposable income) were less likely to participate in arts or cultural activities. Arts participation was strongly associated with healthy eating, physical activity and positive mental well-being, with no evidence of confounding by socio-economic or sociodemographic factors. Neither positive mental well-being nor social capital appeared to mediate the relationship between arts participation and health behaviours.ConclusionThis study suggests that arts and cultural activities are independently associated with health behaviours and mental well-being. Further qualitative and prospective intervention studies are needed to elucidate the nature of the relationship between health behaviours, mental well-being and arts participation. If arts activities are to be recommended for health improvement, social inequalities in access to arts and cultural activities must be addressed in order to prevent further reinforcement of health inequalities.

Project description:In recent years the health-arts nexus has received increasing attention; however, the relationship is not well understood and the extent of possible positive, negative and unintended outcomes is unknown. Guided by the biopsychosocial model of health and theories of social epidemiology, the aim of this study was to develop a framework pertaining to the relationship between arts engagement and population health that included outcomes, confounders and effect modifiers. A health-arts framework is of value to researchers seeking to build the evidence base; health professionals interested in understanding the health-arts relationship, especially those who use social prescribing for health promotion or to complement treatments; in teaching medical, nursing and health-science students about arts outcomes, as well as artists and health professionals in the development of policy and programmes.A qualitative study was conducted. Semistructured interviews were analysed thematically.Western Australia.33 Western Australian adults (18+ years). Participants were randomly selected from a pool of general population nominees who engaged in the arts for enjoyment, entertainment or as a hobby (response rate=100%).A thematic analysis was conducted using QSR-NVivo10. The resulting framework contained seven outcome themes and 63 subthemes. Three themes specifically related to health, that is, mental, social and physical health, while economic, knowledge, art and identity outcomes were classified as health determinants. Within each theme, positive, negative and unintended outcomes (subthemes) were identified and categorised as relating to the individual and/or to the community. A list of confounding and/or effect modifying factors, related to both the arts and health, was identified.Given the increasing pressure on health resources, the arts have the potential to assist in the promotion of health and healing. This framework expands on current knowledge, further defines the health-arts relationship and is a step towards the conceptualisation of a causal health-arts model.

Project description:OBJECTIVE:To assess the frequency and intensity of arts engagement inclusive of active and passive engagements in arts, culture and heritage activities among Singaporean adults aged 50 and above, and examine the relationships between participatory art and holistic well-being. DESIGN:Cross-sectional stratified household survey. SETTING:All residential areas across Singapore's Central, East, North, North-East and West Regions. PARTICIPANTS:1067 community-dwelling, Singaporean older adults between the ages of 50 and 95 years were recruited. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:Respondents completed a self-reported questionnaire, consisting of standardised ad hoc items assessing the frequencies and durations of active and passive participatory arts engagement, as well as validated psychometric assessments on psychosociospiritual health including the primary outcome measure on quality of life, and the secondary outcome measures on physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being. sociodemographic information, as well as frequency and intensity of physical activity were also collected. RESULTS:Passive engagement (60%) and active engagement (17%) in the arts were associated with better holistic wellness and social support. Specifically, findings from the propensity score matching and independent t-test analyses revealed that adults aged 50 and above who passively engaged in arts and culture-related events experienced higher quality of life (t(728)=3.35, p=0.0008, d=0.25), perceived health (t(728)=2.21, p=0.0277, d=0.16) and sense of belonging (t(728)=2.17, p=0.03, d=0.16), as compared with those who did not. Moreover, those who actively engaged in participatory arts experienced greater quality of life (t(442)=3.68, p=0.0003, d=0.36), self-rated health (t(442)=2.59, p=0.0099, d=0.25), spiritual well-being (t(442)=3.75, p=0.0002, d=0.37), meaning in life (t(442)=5.03, p<0.0001, d=0.50) and sense of peace (t(442)=3.72, p=0.0002, d=0.36), as compared with those who did not actively engaged in the arts. CONCLUSION:This study provided robust evidence to support a significant causal relationship between arts engagements and holistic well-being. Recommendations for art-based public health and elderly care research, practice and policy are discussed.

Project description:BackgroundResidential moves (displacement) owing to climate- and weather-related disasters may significantly impact mental health. Despite the growing risk from climate change, health impacts of environmental-mobility remain understudied.ObjectivesWe assessed the effects of displacement on the association between landslides and changes in perceived mental well-being in Banjarnegara, Indonesia. We also investigated whether sociodemographics (age, sex, level of education, household-level income, or employment in agriculture) and landslide characteristics (number and severity of landslides) were associated with differing odds of relocation after experiencing landslides.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 420 individuals who experienced landslides between 2014 and 2018 to assess perceived changes in mental well-being, comparing after landslide exposure to before landslide exposure. We used a novel six-item measure that was created in collaboration with the local community to compare perceived changes between those who were displaced by landslides and those who were not displaced, using logistic and multinomial regressions adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. We then assessed whether the odds of displacement differed based on sociodemographic characteristics and landslide exposure characteristics, using logistic regressions.ResultsThose who were displaced were more likely than those who were not displaced to report perceived increases in economic stability [odds ratio (OR)=3.06; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.45, 6.46], optimism (OR=4.01; 95% CI: 1.87, 8.61), safety (OR=2.71; 95% CI: 1.44, 5.10), religiosity (OR=1.92; 95% CI: 1.03, 3.65), and closeness with community (OR=1.90; 95% CI: 1.10, 3.33) after landslides compared with before their first landslide during the study period. More frequent landslide exposures were associated with reduced odds of relocation, but more severe landslides were associated with increased odds of relocation.DiscussionThese findings suggest that landslides affect the mental well-being not only of those who are displaced but also of those who are left behind. Further, this work supports the need for community-based participatory research to fully capture the health impacts of environmental mobility. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9391.

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The art of being mentally healthy: a study to quantify the relationship between recreational arts engagement and mental well-being in the general population.

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