Good Arts, Good Mental Health: Year 1 of developing a campaign
Christina Davies1, Brid Phillips11Centre For Arts Mental Health And Wellbeing, School Of Allied Health, The University Of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
Abstract
How do you know sport is good for you? Why do you (try to) exercise for 30 minutes a day? Part of the reason is because the benefits of sport are widely promoted by health and sports organisations (e.g. ‘BeActive’, ‘Find30’, ‘Life be in it’). Given mental health issues in WA are increasing, and given the strong evidence that recreational arts engagement for enjoyment, entertainment or as a hobby enhances mental wellbeing, it is time to innovate, and more effectively utilise this cost-effective, non-pharmacological method as a prevention strategy (like we do with sport).
One of the aims of the Good Arts, Good Mental Health (GAGMH) project is to collaborate with the general public, our 30 government/industry/philanthropic partners (e.g. WA Health, Mental Health Commission, VicHealth, Australia Council for the Arts), and non-partner organisations to develop an arts-mental health campaign that:
•Improves awareness of the impact 2hours/week of arts engagement (dose) can have on mental wellbeing (response),
•Improves awareness of the spectrum of mental health enhancing arts activities available,
•Demonstrates how the arts can be incorporated into our daily lives, and
•Provides arts engagement opportunities,
This poster will describe findings from the first year of the campaign development.
The GAGMH Project is funded by the WA Future Health Research and Innovation Fund (an initiative of the WA State Government), The Ian Potter Foundation and The Minderoo Foundation. The project is also supported by the WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries; CircuitWest and St John of God Health Care.
Biography
Christina Davies is Director of the Centre for Arts, Mental Health and Wellbeing, UWA, and Chief Investigator on the ‘Good Arts, Good Mental Health’ Project which is funded by the WA Future Health Research and Innovation Fund; Ian Potter Foundation; Minderoo Foundation; DLGSC; CircuitWest and St John of God Health Care. Christina’s multi-award winning research focuses on the arts and mental wellbeing. Much of her research has been translated into policy and practice, with a number of her papers ranked by Altmetric in the top 1% of articles by attention internationally.