RSPH SIG Research Corner November 2018

Each month the Arts in Health Special Interest Group at the RSPH curates a short collection of recent peer-reviewed papers that may be useful for practitioners and researchers working in this area. Where possible we try to link to open-source papers that anyone can read, without needing university access.

Creative arts support mental health in child refugees

Creative arts activities have similarly found to decrease anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and peer problems for child refugees and asylum seekers. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0089359

Leading arts programmes for new mothers contributes to the wellbeing of facilitators

This study discusses the key challenges and benefits for facilitators of leading creative activities for mothers. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0255761418771092

Music can decrease anxiety in adults undergoing biopsy

Listening to music can reduce anxiety and modulate blood pressure in adults undergoing a biospy https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13509

Cultural engagement helps protect against cognitive decline

Going to the theatre, concerts, opera, art galleries, exhibitions and museums helps protect against cognitive decline. But going to the cinema does not. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-28591-8

New evidence that music can improve speech and language in children with autism

Auditory-motor rhythmic training through music can facilitate and improve language processing and acquisition and speech control in children with autism https://doi.org/10.1177/2059204318769639

These updates will be migrated to an archive on the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance website once it launches in February 2019. We are grateful to London Arts in Health Forum for hosting this Research Corner in the interim!