ABSTRACT
Where healthcare teams are experiencing substantial and multiple pressures with low team social support, there is evidence of increased depression, anxiety, compassion fatigue and ultimately problems with staff retention and patient care. To address this issue, we co-designed and piloted an arts therapies approach to team development. Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance was used to design a mixed methods evaluation of the programme following the acute phase of COVID-19 pandemic. Two outcome measures were administered, and a qualitative open text survey underwent thematic analysis. We recruited 92 participants for the evaluation;90 completed the open text survey and 42 participants completed the outcome measures. The qualitative analysis produced the following themes: Getting to Know the Team in a Meaningful Way;Creative Expression and Reflection;Communicating and Processing Difficult Feelings and Resistances;More Time For Processing;Practical Problems with Whole Team Engagement;Difficulty Engaging in Creative Exercises;Inclusivity and Equality;Psychological Safety. Quantitative results were significant with indications of changes to team social systems. The results of our study indicate good accessibility, acceptability and effectiveness.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Mental health and well-being are under pressure because of the corona pandemic. Arts and psychomotor therapists said that they had almost no experience with working online, but despite the fact that they felt incapable, they were positive towards it. Method: This qualitative action research was aimed at how arts and psychomotor therapists can become more skilled in offering online arts and psychomotor therapy and how they can methodically enlist the VR Health Experience (a virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space) in therapy. It is envisaged that the arts and psychomotor therapist could be telepresent in order to offer arts and psychomotor therapy remotely. In online training that made use of the Lean Startup Method, participants (n = 5) integrated their working knowledge with the VR Health Experience. The interventions were immediately tested by the participants and in practice. Participants were interviewed retrospectively and their experiences were thematically analysed. Results: The VR Health Experience came forward as an innovative addition to the usual arts and psychomotor therapy. Often, clients were encouraged to play and experiment, and the VR world offered several options. The VR Health Experience lowered the threshold, expanded the training areas and held a great attraction for play. Discussion: This project offered an innovative quality boost for arts and psychomotor therapy. Arts and psychomotor therapy have proven to be possible remotely via telepresence of the therapist. The therapist is present together with the client in the VR Health Experience, the virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space, where connectedness can be felt and new experiences can be gained. VR also offers further possibilities in arts and psychomotor therapy.