The impact of Arts Psychotherapies for our patients can be profound, but no-one is better at expressing this than our patients themselves. Here’s how we want to develop and co-create our services with our patients:
The CREATOR study :
A research study aiming to look at how arts psychotherapists and persons using the arts psychotherapies work together to agree and review personal changes that might be meaningful in everyday life.
The CREATOR study
The CREATOR study aims to explore, “what needs to be in place to enable a therapist and person attending to agree and review meaningful changes that could be brought about by taking part in art or music therapy?”
Individuals who take part in the arts psychotherapies within statutory community mental health services are often asked to fill out questionnaires at the beginning and then again at the end of art or music therapy. These questionnaires help to understand whether the sessions are helping them or not and allow comparisons with other types of therapies offered. Using repeated questions, which focus on symptoms, risks, and/or well-being may limit opportunities to really understand the ongoing changes that can happen whilst attending the arts therapies.
The study is part of an educational qualification sponsored by NHS Lothian Research Futures in partnership with QMU. It invited persons who have attended, facilitated, managed, or been referred to the arts therapies to become co-researchers. Being a co-researcher is about making meanings together, sharing power and allowing different voices to be heard. Co-researchers attended up to two workshops in community locations across Lothian between April and October 2024. Using arts-based transformational action research the first workshop guided co-researchers in making images and music in response to the question. Actions agreed were then shared with Arts Psychotherapists who were invited to try them out in practice. The workshop was then be repeated in different locations to get a wide range of responses. The second workshop was optional. It brought co-researchers together to agree outputs, including guidelines or frameworks, and agree how to share them.
For a full summary of the outcomes of the study, please see the document below.
The study was run by Emma Maclean, NHS Lothian Music Therapist and Music Therapy Lecturer at Queen Margaret University (QMU) alongside Art and Music Therapists from the NHS Lothian Arts Psychotherapies Service. It’s part of an educational qualification funded by NHS Lothian Research Futures and sponsored by QMU.
Lothian R&D Project No.: 2023/0232
REC No: 23/ES/0036
IRAS Number: 332343
The Empowerment Group
We believe that people with lived experience of our services understand what works well and what doesn’t, so we are keen to increase the role they have in the co-design, delivery, and improvement of mental health services. To facilitate this we have gathered representatives from the NHS Lothian Arts Psychotherapies and people who have used or care for people who use arts psychotherapies services as the Empowerment Group.
Ash’s Story
“My name is Ash and I first began using art as therapy for my own mental health issues around five years ago. I was sceptical at first: “it’s not for me”, “I’m no good at art” were thoughts putting me off. I was glad that I gave it a go, however, as I soon learned to love it. I could escape intrusive thoughts and lose myself in creative activity, expressing emotions that were otherwise difficult to communicate. Time flies when I’m doing some art and afterwards I feel both energised and relaxed.
I’ve been a member of the NHS Lothians Arts Psychotherapies Empowerment Group since it formed and enjoy it immensely. We’re an informal and friendly bunch, and I like the chance to have my voice and experiences valued and included in the Arts Psychotherapies service development. Attending has improved my confidence, self esteem and connection with others. We’d love to welcome some new members and gain from your input, so please get in touch if you’d like to find out more.”
What’s the Empowerment Group about?
It brings staff and people with lived experience together to develop and improve the service.
Why should I get involved?
We’d love to have you on board to help us work out what parts of the service work, and what parts don’t. We think you would enjoy giving your voice to help shape the group and what the Arts Psychotherapies can offer.
What’s involved?
Informal meetings on Tuesday/Wednesday afternoons every couple of months, with occasional optional focus groups.
I’m interested, what do I do next?
If you’d like to get in touch to find out more, please email or leave a message on our phone with your contact details. A member of the team will then get back to you and arrange a time for an informal chat.
Email: Admin.ArtsTherapies@nhs.scot
Phone: 0131 537 6400
