Publish date: 3 August 2023
A group of researchers from the Trust have had their research paper published in the International Journal of Art Therapy.
Staff members Tim Wright, Sarah Labovitch, Tanya Andrews and Verity Blakeman – all took part in a research study around outdoor arts therapies groups.
Tim, who is the Head Art Therapist at West London NHS Trust, was the lead researcher on the study. He said: “The aim of the research was to provide systematic, qualitative evidence of the effectiveness of outdoor arts therapies groups in adult mental health; this is the first study to do this, despite there already being quite a rich literature on the practice.
“My role was as the lead investigator, developing the design, organising the data collection and analysis. Technically speaking, this was a service evaluation rather than a research model per se, but it yielded important qualitative evidence about how service users experience outdoor arts therapies. I hope this will prompt further systematic research on this practice.
“The Nature Nurture outdoor arts therapies group was an initiative of some of the clinicians in the arts therapies service that I manage. It was partly a response to Covid restrictions on indoor provision but it was based on previous experience of team members in providing individual outdoors sessions in this service and groups in other organisations and it continues to flourish; in fact, the study findings helped to develop it further.”
Sarah, one of the researchers, works as a peer support worker and service user representative for the Trust’s research and development sub-committee.
Sarah said: “Service user collaboration is the active participation of a person with lived experience of mental illness, be it in the design, commissioning, provision, or evaluation of services. It is evolving into a fundamental and vital constituent of service delivery, offering diverse perspectives encompassing all aspects of mental healthcare.”
Prior to joining West London, Sarah worked in journalism for 25 years and is currently completing an MSc in Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London.
Sophie Coronini-Cronberg, Director of Research and Development at West London NHS Trust said: “Congratulations to Tim, Verity, Tanya, and Sarah for the publication of their work in the International Journal of Art Therapy. It has given us a new insight into some of the benefits of outdoor arts therapies and highlights the variety of studies being undertaken across the Trust”.
You can find out more information about Research and Development at West London NHS Trust here: https://www.westlondon.nhs.uk/research