Defining "Arts Participation" for Public Health Research.

Arts participation has been linked to positive health outcomes around the globe. As more research is taking place on this topic, there is heightened need for definitions for the complex concepts involved. While significant work to define "arts participation" has taken place in the arts sector, less work has been undertaken for the purpose of researching the arts in public health. This study developed a definition for "arts participation" to guide a national arts in public health research agenda and to advance and make more inclusive previous work to define the term. A convergent mixed-methods study design with sequential elements was used to iteratively develop a definition that integrated the perspectives of field experts as well as the general public. Literature review was followed by four iterative phases of data collection, analysis, and integration, and a proposed definition was iteratively revised at each stage. The final definition includes modes, or ways, in which people engage with the arts, and includes examples of various art forms intended to frame arts participation broadly and inclusively. This definition has the potential to help advance the quality and precision of research aimed at evaluating relationships between arts participation and health, as well as outcomes of arts-based health programs and interventions in communities. With its more inclusive framing than previous definitions, it can also help guide the development of more inclusive search strategies for evidence synthesis in this rapidly growing arena and assist researchers in developing more effective survey questions and instruments.

Arts Engagement as a Health Behavior: An Opportunity to Address Mental Health Inequities.

The significance of mental health inequities globally is illustrated by higher rates of anxiety and depression amongst racial and ethnic minority populations as well as individuals of lower socioeconomic status. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these pre-existing mental health inequities. With rising mental health concerns, arts engagement offers an accessible, equitable opportunity to combat mental health inequities and impact upstream determinants of health. As the field of public health continues to shift its focus toward social ecological strategies, the social ecological model of health offers an approach that prioritizes social and structural determinants of health. To capture the impacts of arts engagement, this paper creates an applied social ecological model of health while aiming to advocate that engaging in the arts is a protective and rehabilitative behavior for mental health.

Social prescribing outcomes: a mapping review of the evidence from 13 countries to identify key common outcomes.

Introduction: As a means for supporting a range of health and wellbeing goals, social prescribing programs have been implemented around the world. Reflecting a range of contexts, needs, innovation, and programing, a broad array of outcomes has been studied in relation to these programs. As interest in social prescribing grows, more targeted study of key outcomes and in turn evidence synthesis that can inform evidence-based practice, policy, and investment is needed. Methods and Results: This mapping review identified, described, and synthesized the broad array of social prescribing outcomes that have been studied in 13 countries and maps the outcomes that have been most commonly studied. From 87 articles included in this review, a total of 347 unique outcomes were identified, including 278 unique patient outcomes and 69 unique system outcomes. The most commonly studied categories of patient outcomes were found to be mental health, lifestyle and behavior, and patient/service user experience. The most commonly studied system outcomes were healthcare/service utilization and financial/economic outcomes. Discussion: This review highlights the value of heterogeneity and mixed methods approaches in outcomes studies for capturing nuanced experiences and outcomes in this nascent area of practice, while contributing to the advancement of evidence synthesis for social prescribing globally by quantifying and offering insight into the outcomes that have been studied to date. It also lays a foundation for the development of key common outcomes and a Core Outcomes Set for social prescribing. Additionally, it identified key outcomes that, given their relationship to critical health and social issues, warrant both broader and deeper study.