Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 16(2), 2012, pp.84-89.
Publisher:
Emerald
Eco Art on Prescription was a community art project in North Devon involving art courses for people with experience of mild to moderate depression, stress or anxiety. Three 10-week courses ran consecutively over 12 months and were followed by sessions to present art work and celebrate achievements. This article reports on an evaluation of the effect of the Eco Art on Prescription courses on the wellbeing of 39 participants. It describes the art sessions and the evaluation, in which students completed a wellbeing scale at the beginning and end of the course and also gave qualitative feedback. Attendance over the sessions was 91%, and the results indicated a significant increase in wellbeing scores from the start to the end of the courses. Key themes from the qualitative feedback included enjoyment, educational benefits and increased confidence, both artistically and socially, and the article includes quotations from participant feedback. The authors conclude that the findings provide supportive evidence for the potential of art to improve wellbeing, promote social networks and transform the lives of individuals
Eco Art on Prescription was a community art project in North Devon involving art courses for people with experience of mild to moderate depression, stress or anxiety. Three 10-week courses ran consecutively over 12 months and were followed by sessions to present art work and celebrate achievements. This article reports on an evaluation of the effect of the Eco Art on Prescription courses on the wellbeing of 39 participants. It describes the art sessions and the evaluation, in which students completed a wellbeing scale at the beginning and end of the course and also gave qualitative feedback. Attendance over the sessions was 91%, and the results indicated a significant increase in wellbeing scores from the start to the end of the courses. Key themes from the qualitative feedback included enjoyment, educational benefits and increased confidence, both artistically and socially, and the article includes quotations from participant feedback. The authors conclude that the findings provide supportive evidence for the potential of art to improve wellbeing, promote social networks and transform the lives of individuals
Subject terms:
mental health problems, service users, stress, anxiety, art therapy, community mental health services, depression, evaluation;