AHA Connects June 15 – AHA! and Determinants of Health

AHA! CONNECTS!  June 15, 2023
AHA! and the Determinants of Health

Today we are taking a break from celebrating programs to reflect upon the impacts AHA!’s programs have had on the Determinants of Health, both for participants and for the community. AHA!’s first research project, “Exploring the Impact of Community-Based Arts Programming on Determinants of Health”, was based on evaluation data from six of AHA!’s programs in our first four years, 2013-2017. Completed in 2017, this was published in the Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education in August, 2018:

https://cjsae.library.dal.ca/index.php/cjsae/article/view/5429/4534

So why did AHA! engage in research? Well, at the time, there were global exemplars inspiring and guiding AHA!’s programs, but little research supporting the results we were seeing. Many of our programs had intangible results, such as alleviating loneliness, building self-esteem, supporting social inclusion, all suggesting we were impacting Determinants of Health. We thought that perhaps mapping our program outcomes with Determinants of Health might further the arts-health conversation, giving it greater credibility. Since that time, several more papers have been published in this field, including, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31038422/

Live, Work, Play: Social Inclusion as a Determinant of Health

By Ann Fox

People often ask how Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!) programs make a difference in the community. AHA! evaluates all programs by seeking feedback from participants, artists, and caregivers and has identified many ways that programs enrich the community. These are reflected in what is often referred to as the “social determinants of health”, or the factors outside of any one person’s control that shape how we live, learn, work and play. These include things like income, education, access to health care and the kinds of environments in which we live, as well as the ability of communities to provide a sense of social inclusion for all members. Our evaluations show that AHA! programs are making a significant contribution.

For example, seniors participating in the Eldertree Project shared stories of the community that were important to younger generations. Dramatizing these stories for community benefit enabled seniors to not only share, but also to recognize that their experiences have helped shape the community and continue to be valued.

A group of teens who were missing school frequently, found purpose in attending songwriting sessions, boosting their self-esteem; they felt seen and heard when they performed their songs for other students at the school. And they didn’t miss a day of school after starting the program.

Senior community members isolated during the pandemic connected with others virtually for on-line arts sessions that continue today through the Art Larks program.

Newcomers shared the challenges they faced and overcame through The Shoe Project, in which they wrote and performed a play about what it’s like to find their way in a new country and community. New in Town, on stage this summer, will do the same.

What do all these programs have in common? They all provide participants with a sense of community, where their contributions are valued by others. Research has shown that story is one of most powerful tools we have for building relationships and communities. Sharing stories with others helps build empathy, understanding and inclusion.

This is confirmed by the artists leading programs who note the development of confidence and sharing among participants, as well as by family members and health providers who see anxiety lessened, stress relieved and a sense of purpose maintained even among those with significant physical and mental health challenges.

Loneliness has been identified in the UK as a significant contributor to poor health as well as causing a strain on their health care system: https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.  In response, a ‘Loneliness Minister’ has been appointed to address and reduce loneliness in the country: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/loneliness-minister-its-more-important-than-ever-to-take-action. Loneliness and social isolation are linked, but not the same: it is possible to be one without the other. Social inclusion however, is an antidote to both. When people feel included, they feel supported, seen, heard and valued. As a society, we need to re-focus on building relationships, the lifeline that supports our wellbeing; the arts offer us a way to reestablish our social connectivity.

AHA! will continue to promote health by including people in community through creativity, enriching the places where we work and play, and supporting artists and caregivers in our community.

Personal Health Practices and Coping Strategies:
Building Resilience into our Health Toolkits

By Liz Brennan

Another notable outcome of our programs has been on the ‘personal health practices and coping strategies’ of participants. When we think of our own health practices and strategies, we most often think of diet and exercise, both incredibly important for our wellbeing. But AHA! would also like to include sleep and the arts as essential additions to our toolkits.

“Why We Sleep” is a remarkable book by Matthew Walker describing what our brains are doing while we sleep, from emotional regulation to immune system boosting, to laying down memory. In fact, he suggests that some neuroscientists believe that our brains are working harder when we sleep than when we are awake! For those with trouble sleeping, two of the biggest culprits keeping us awake are caffeine and screens, so limiting caffeine (including coffee, tea, chocolate, colas) for 8 hours prior to sleep, and not looking at any screens (phones, TVs, computers) for the 3 hours before sleep, might just help. Bright artificial lights can also be problematic (dim lights before bed), as can excessive heat (the bedroom should be cool).

As we have seen in our June 1 post, AHA’s programs with youth have strived to show young people how to share their stories through several art forms, from visual arts to performing arts, to writing and songwriting. By giving youth their voices, we are building their self-esteem, fostering confidence and adding the arts to their health-toolkits. They are learning that the arts offer a way to work through difficult situations, to alleviate stress and anxiety, to cope with what life is throwing their way. Our dream is to see the arts restored in our public education system, not as a course at which to excel, but as part of a program building resilience and wellbeing in young people.

Many adults have forgotten how to engage in the arts. For too long, the arts have been seen as frivolous and playful, but not essential to our harried lives. Through AHA’s programs, we have shown that indeed the arts are essential to everyone’s wellbeing.  We all have times in our lives when we are vulnerable (through illness, transition, other social factors) and at those times the arts are often less available to us, so our resilience depends on the arts already being an established coping strategy in our toolkit. Writing in a journal, drawing in a sketchbook, colouring, reading a novel, singing, dancing or playing games, might be just what we need to cope, de-stress, manage pain or work through life’s challenges.

Perhaps as a society, ensuring ready, equitable access to the arts across the lifespan, and nurturing arts engagement as a ‘personal health practice and coping strategy’, would go a long way to improving our overall wellbeing.

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  1. Félicitations!

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