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July 10, 2023

Social Prescribing for the Arts: A Promising Framework for Arts & Health Collaboration in the U.S. & Beyond

In this issue, we explore the emerging research and practices of social prescribing for the arts (SPA) and discuss the future of SPA efforts as a vital component of arts and health services in the U.S., especially for older adults. This issue starts framing answers to key questions related to the challenges and opportunities this practice surfaces in healthcare and creative aging. Featured in this issue is a recorded conversation between three leading experts on SPA in the U.S.: Tasha Golden, S. Sudha, and Käthe Swaback.

*This email is an abridged version of our our full issue, which contains in-depth analysis and numerous resources on social prescribing. You can read the full issue here.

June 21, 2023

Social Prescribing and Creative Aging Resources

The following resources include research and studies, reports, programs, and initiatives on social prescribing developed, researched, and/or supported by Tasha Golden, PhD, Director of Research at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins Medicine; Sudha Shreeniwas, PhD, Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at University of North Carolina Greensboro; and Käthe Swaback, Program Officer, Mass Cultural Council (Creative Youth Development and CultureRx: Social Prescription Pilot Program).

June 21, 2023

Social Prescribing for the Arts: A Promising Framework for Arts & Health Collaboration in the U.S. & Beyond

In this roundtable discussion, we explore the emerging research and practices of social prescribing for the arts (SPA) in the U.S. and other countries with arts and health professionals; Tasha Golden, PhD, Director of Research at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins Medicine; S. Sudha, PhD, Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at University of North Carolina Greensboro; and Käthe Swaback, Program Officer, Mass Cultural Council (Creative Youth Development and CultureRx: Social Prescription Pilot Program). This interview is part of The Creative Aging Resource Journal from Lifetime Arts. Download an enhanced transcript (with links).

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The music track in this interview is credited to BenSound.

June 20, 2023

Establishing Internationally Accepted Conceptual and Operational Definitions of Social Prescribing Through Expert Consensus: A Delphi Study

From the Abstract:

Introduction With the social prescribing movement gaining traction globally, there is a need for an agreed definition of social prescribing. There are two types of definitions – conceptual and operational, meaning agreement on both types of definitions is needed.

Objective The aim of this study was to establish internationally accepted conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing.

Design A three-round Delphi study was conducted.

Methods Consensus was defined a priori as ≥80% agreement. In Round 1, participants were asked to list key elements that are essential to the conceptual definition of social prescribing and to provide corresponding statements that operationalize each of the key elements. In Round 2, participants were asked to rate their agreement with items from the first round for inclusion in the conceptual and/or operational definitions of social prescribing. Based on the findings from this round, the conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing were developed, including long and short versions of the conceptual definition. In Round 3, participants were asked to rate their agreement with the conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing.

Participants This study involved an international, multidisciplinary panel of experts. The expert panel (n=48) represented 26 different countries across five continents, numerous expert groups, and a variety of years of experience with social prescribing, with the average being 5 years (range = 1-20 years).

Results After three rounds, internationally accepted conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing were established. The definitions were transformed into the Common Understanding of Social Prescribing (CUSP) conceptual framework.

Conclusion This foundational work offers a common thread – a shared sense of what social prescribing is, which may be woven into social prescribing research, policy, and practice to foster common understanding of this concept.

June 20, 2023

Design for Social Prescribing: Bridging Silos for Health Promotion

From the Article:

It’s no secret that US health systems are in need of major transformations. While some agents are trying to improve efficiency of current operations or promote better experiences for patients, others are embracing broader social factors influencing health outcomes. Many are developing new ways of working that are a better fit for people’s homes and social structures than medical environments. Several are searching for new ways to collaborate with stakeholders from non-traditional domains, such as arts and environmental conservation, to increase access to broader and more diverse healing and health promotion pathways. Very few deny the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare how larger social determinants such as housing, employment, social support structures, mental health, social isolation, and access to safe areas for physical activity impact the overall health and well-being of individuals and communities.

It was in this context that Reena Shukla, the Design Lab’s first Builder Fellow, thought to explore the value design brings to the early stages of complex initiatives. While at the D-Lab, Reena experienced the usefulness of design in helping organizations navigate the uncertainty of complex new endeavors laden with not only concrete factors driven by technology and economics, but also ambiguous behavioral factors driven by emotion and culture. She then saw an opportunity for design to support organizations behind an emerging movement in the US: social prescribing.

June 15, 2023

The Trust Transfer Project and CultureRx: Social Prescription

From the Article:

The Community Music School of Springfield (CMSS) has explored these questions through both their participation in Mass Cultural Council’s CultureRx: Social Prescription pilot program and the Trust Transfer Project (TTP), and have found some powerful answers in Springfield, MA. The Trust Transfer Project has enabled CMSS to deepen their mission towards the “whole health” of communities that began with their involvement with the CultureRx: Social Prescription pilot in 2020.

During the pandemic, the Trust Transfer Project launched as a partnership between CMSS and the Springfield Cultural Partnership with a quest to find “the people, the power and the purpose” for utilizing the arts to engage and network their community. Using the time and urgency of the pandemic, they gathered, listened to their community, and supported artists of color to artistically create messages to build trust, hope, and vaccine confidence in their community.

June 15, 2023

Prescribing the Arts for Older Adult Health

From the Article:

The World Health Organization recently reviewed evidence that engaging in arts promotes health and wellbeing across the lifespan. Their report found that “over 3000 studies identified a major role for the arts in the prevention of ill health, promotion of health, and management and treatment of illness.”

“Encouraging arts participation can work as a lower cost health intervention,” says Human Development and Family Studies Professor Sudha Shreeniwas. “It can improve a range of physical and mental health conditions.”

Dr. Shreeniwas recently won National Endowment for the Arts funding to see if a practice called social prescribing for the arts, or SPA, could be effective as part of the U.S. healthcare system, particularly for older adults.

June 15, 2023

Mass Cultural Council’s “CultureRx” Evaluation of a Social Prescription Pilot

From the Overview:

Introduction: As the field of public health strives to address the impacts of social determinants of health, it has seen increasing interest in community-referral practices that expand health care beyond clinical spaces. However, community arts and culture organizations are rarely included in these practices, despite accumulating evidence of associated health benefits. In addition, such inclusion has not been formally studied. In response, this article offers an evaluation of “CultureRx” in Massachusetts (MA): the first US model of arts on prescription. The program is a partnership between 20 healthcare providers and 12 cultural organizations, in which providers can offer “prescriptions” to cultural experiences to support patients’ health.

Methods: Evaluation was undertaken to illuminate participant experiences, program successes and barriers, and recommendations for further development. The cultural organizations collected participant data (n = 84) and completed surveys about their own experiences (n = 12). Authors conducted semi-structured focus groups and interviews with healthcare providers (n = 33). Data analysis was customized for each dataset.

Results: Findings indicate that participants enjoyed and hoped to repeat their prescribed experiences, which they saw as beneficial to wellbeing. Providers identified the program as a new and critical addition to their toolkits; they also indicated it had a positive effect on their own wellbeing. Cultural organizations reported varied challenges, learnings, and recommendations.

Conclusion: The CultureRx pilot suggests that integrating arts/culture assets into health and social care approaches can enrich and improve traditional US models of community referral. By including arts/culture resources when addressing social determinants of health, communities will be better positioned to equitably and holistically advance health.

June 12, 2023

Study Unveils Benefits & Recommendations for Social Prescription

From the Website:

Mass Cultural Council’s “CultureRx”: Evaluation of a Social Prescription Pilot is an exciting new report that explores intersections of arts, culture, and health. It provides an overall description of social prescribing, the origins and practice in the UK, and how we have adapted community care models and innovated to provide a pilot of social prescribing as part of the CultureRx Initiative here in Massachusetts. By taking a deeper look with pilot participants, cultural organizations, and their healthcare partners, a robust team evaluated the work of the Social Prescription Pilot Program from a multitude of perspectives through surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The report draws upon this data to provide a solid understanding of successes, barriers, and opportunities. With this foundation, the report also offers recommendations from cultural organizations and healthcare providers. In addition, the lead evaluator provides 13 recommendations not only for the next phase of the Agency’s programs, but for additional efforts or potential pilots across the nation that may wish to implement and sustain social prescription programs.

June 12, 2023

Frail, Frump, and Forgotten: A Report on the Movie Roles of Women of Age

From the Report:

This is the first global study to systematically analyze representations of older adults, with a specific focus on women ages
50+ in entertainment media. A majority of older adults (77%) have experienced ageism, most commonly being treated as frail or shown disrespect because of their age.1 In this study, we examine the extent to which entertainment media contributes to ageism by erasing older adults and presenting them in stereotypical ways in the top-grossing films of 2019 in Germany, France, the UK, and the US.