Abstract:

The author, Dr Rogers, is passionate about the Health of the Nation, basing her understanding on The Inquiry Report (2015-2017), Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing (2nd Edition) by The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW, 2014) which endorses the arts for health and wellbeing for the Nation, chaired by Lord Howarth of Newport. This 2-year research, evidence-gathering programme included discussions with patients, health and social care professionals, artists and arts administrators, academics, people in local government, ministers, other policymakers, and parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament. When GPs deal with patients who might have felt lost and powerless at challenging long-established problems there are now Social Prescribing (SP) services that engage and motivate people to make changes. Dr Rogers is much involved herself in identifying “Critical success factors for SP ‘Art-on-Prescription’ (AoP) in Wales, as a 3rd year M.Phil. Candidate, at the University of South Wales, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, Treforest, South Wales, UK. It is with increasing insights from her Director of Studies, Professor Carolyn Wallace (Director of the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research, WSSPR) and Academic Supervisors, namely Professor Steven Smith and Dr Sarah Wallace that the current research forges an exploratory pathway to gaining much needed evidence relating to the efficacy of social prescribing not only in general, but also in particular regarding the how, what and the where social prescribing in Wales is becoming more widespread. The methodology, based on ‘Group Concept Mapping’ (GCM) seeks by valuing stakeholder voices, to apply rigorous analysis of their opinions, beliefs and values (Trochim WM, Kane M ,2005). Using a ‘mixed methods’ approach, qualitative data collection is combined with quantitative analysis processes and tools. GCM has become a reliable method for participatory research because of the mixed methods implementation (i.e. tools and approaches) that facilitate researchers to articulate issues, thereby solving problems with results, supporting measurable progress. Whilst GCM is a structured, yet flexible method, it not only captures and organizes ideas of a group on any topic of interest, but also represents these ideas visually in a series of interrelated maps reflecting the stakeholders’ perceptions and values. Initially it was necessary to familiarize with the software GroupWisdomTM being available at the University, readily applicable to carry out GCM methodology. Sample populations incorporated WSSPR members from medical professions, healthcare workers and Arts Practitioners amongst others. As a springboard for gathering data the initial activity implemented online “Brainstorming” using an ‘open ended’ focus prompt: “A critical success factor for social prescribing AoP is . . .” Several aspects emerged from 191 statements collected from a research sample (n=80). In addition to social benefits of group activities, some psychological mechanisms may relate directly to art making, e.g., when a person focuses on the role of the flow state their attention is fully engaged in an activity, a person may lose awareness of self, space and time being engaged within the artistic process, i.e. where a coherent sense “being in the moment”, may predict eudemonic happiness.

Keywords:

Creativity, art-on-prescription, health, well-being, holistic therapies, mental health, dementia, social prescribing.