The impact of arts-inclusive programs on young children's mental health and wellbeing: a rapid review.

BACKGROUND: This review evaluated the existing literature exploring the effects of arts-inclusive programs (AIPs) on the mental health and wellbeing of young children. AIPs include activities, programs, or interventions containing creative arts. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted across three databases (SCOPUS, psycINFO, and ERIC). The search was restricted to studies reporting outcomes of children 0-6 years. RESULTS: Nine studies were included in the review (3,671 participants). Three key themes were identified: music-related (n = 4); artmaking (n = 3); and storytelling/drama (n = 2). All included studies reported positive outcomes on children's wellbeing following engagement in AIPs. DISCUSSION: This review found emerging evidence demonstrating positive impacts of arts engagement on the wellbeing of children aged 0-6. However, most studies were low quality and used varying outcome measures. The review is one of the first to highlight the lack of high-quality studies on the relationship between AIPs and wellbeing in young children.

Narcissism and Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This review aimed to examine the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and trait narcissism, and whether the strength of this relationship differs depending on narcissism type (grandiose or vulnerable), the type of violence perpetrated, or the perpetrator's gender. Scopus, Medline, PsycInfo, and Academic Search Complete databases were searched on August 11, 2022. Studies were included if they were in English, measured IPV perpetration and trait narcissism, and examined the relationship between trait narcissism and IPV perpetration. Studies were excluded if they were review papers, conference extracts, book chapters, or if the data was not specific to trait narcissism. The AXIS tool was used to assess the quality and risk of bias of the studies. Twenty-two studies (N = 11,520 participants) were included in the random effects meta-analysis revealing a significant, weak, positive relationship between trait narcissism and IPV perpetration, r = .15. Subgroup analyses revealed physical IPV perpetration was not significantly related to trait narcissism while cyber and psychological IPV perpetration were significantly, positively, weakly related to trait narcissism. No significant difference in the strength of the relationship with IPV perpetration was found between males and females. The relationship between trait narcissism and IPV perpetration was significantly greater for vulnerable narcissism than grandiose narcissism. Overall, the quality of the included studies was high, and risk of bias was low. All measures were self-report and underreporting could be present given both narcissistic traits and IPV perpetration are considered socially undesirable. Future research examining these relationships should specify IPV and narcissism types.

Beyond garden design: A review of outdoor occupation in hospital and residential care settings for people with dementia.

INTRODUCTION: Access to outdoor space is widely recommended for people with dementia. However, there is limited information on the occupations of people with dementia within these spaces. We sought to review the research literature to identify the occupations of people with dementia in outdoor spaces in residential aged care and/or hospitals and report on features that support occupational participation as well as the benefits of occupational participation in these spaces. METHODS: Scoping review. We searched electronic databases involving health, design, and horticulture literature. Studies were included if they involved people with dementia and considered occupations within gardens or garden-like spaces of hospitals, subacute rehabilitation facilities, or residential aged care. RESULTS: We identified 19 articles meeting the review criteria. Outdoor spaces for people with dementia varied in design and supported a range of occupations with the most common being social occupations, gardening, and physical activities. Quantitative studies suggested that benefits of outdoor occupations for people with dementia were improvements in activity participation, social connection, mood, agitation, light exposure, and sleep. Qualitative studies supported these findings and identified additional perceived benefits such as engagement, maintaining identity, health, and reduced levels of distress. Benefits were also reported for families and staff. CONCLUSIONS: Current literature shows that many occupations can be done outside and that these are beneficial for people with dementia. Despite the wide range of benefits, multiple studies reported that outdoor spaces remain under-utilised. More work is required to design spaces for occupational engagement, support access to outdoor spaces, and promote occupational participation.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of reablement interventions for people in permanent residential aged care homes.

BACKGROUND: Most evidence for reablement comes from community-based interventions. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of reablement interventions provided in permanent residential aged care (PRAC) homes on residents' level of function in activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QoL). DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: PRAC homes. SUBJECTS: Residents in PRAC. METHODS: Six databases and grey literature were searched until November 2021. Quantitative studies involving a control group or pre-post evaluation were included. Outcomes of interest were the effectiveness of the reablement intervention on overall ADL or QoL in the last available follow-up. RESULTS: Twelve studies involving 2,620 residents were included. The reablement interventions varied; the primary focus areas were organisational approaches (e.g. educating staff; n = 10) and improving physical function (e.g. increasing physical activity; n = 9). Not all studies could be pooled in the meta-analysis due to reported data and heterogeneity. There was no significant effect of reablement intervention versus usual care on ADL function (five studies, standardised mean difference (SMD): 0.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.25 to 0.59, very low quality evidence). Reablement appeared more beneficial than usual care in improving QoL; however, the overall effect was not statistically significant (four studies, SMD: 0.73, 95% CI: -0.07 to 1.52; very low quality evidence). CONCLUSIONS: Few studies focus on reablement in PRAC homes and their clinical heterogeneity is considerable. There is insufficient evidence for reablement in terms of improving ADL or QoL for residents in PRAC. Tools that are more sensitive to change may be beneficial.

Encouraging help-seeking and engagement in a mental health app: What young people want.

Although many young people evince a preference for digital mental health support over face to face, engagement with smartphone apps for mental health remains relatively low, particularly in young people not accessing professional support services. While some of this can be attributed to stigma or embarrassment, there is also a need for developers and researchers to investigate features which promote long-term usage. MoodyTunes is a music-based smartphone app that has been co-designed with young people to help them develop effective self-management strategies for mood through music listening. Four focus groups with young people (N = 24, aged 13-25) were conducted to workshop how MoodyTunes could promote help-seeking behaviours and long-term engagement with the app. Online discussions following a broad topic guide were held in groups of 4-7 in which participants explored topics including the use of social features, promoting help-seeking behaviour, gamification and mood tracking. Participants also viewed visual materials and offered ideas about visual design both verbally and on paper. A general inductive approach was taken to analysis of qualitative data. Three primary themes were identified in the data: privacy; user empowerment; and engagement vs. achievement. Participants voiced a strong desire to remain anonymous and to feel empowered to make their own decisions about accessing professional help. Sensitive use of language was noted as critical, with some participants noting that the use of more directive language could have a negative impact on their mental health and that motivational features should focus on engagement with the primary aim of the app rather than rewarding achievement. Findings highlight the benefits of a co-design approach and provide key insights into how mental health apps may be able to improve long-term user engagement with young people.