e-A4B
Research type
Research Study
Full title
e-Arts-for-the-Blues: A digital creative therapy for children referred to mental health services
IRAS ID
366572
Contact name
Vicky Karkou
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study aims to develop and trial an arts-based digital group therapy (e-Arts-for-the-Blues) to meet the mental health needs of children and young people referred to mental health services. The resource will enable practitioners to deliver creative group therapy remotely with children and young people.
The digital resource will be developed using the Arts for the Blues model, an evidence-based creative group therapy used with children and young people in schools and hospitals and will build on the work we have already done with our existing platform (www.artsforthebluespractice.co.uk).
Arts for the Blues is a manualised group treatment which utilises best practice from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, counselling for depression, psychodynamic psychotherapy and arts psychotherapies. The model is typically offered over twelve 90-minute sessions and is comprised of eight key ingredients which are delivered through diverse forms of creative engagement such as visual arts, music, dance and movement, drama, and creative writing. The key ingredients are as follows:
- Encouraging active engagement
- Learning skills
- Developing relationships
- Expressing emotions
- Processing at a deeper level
- Gaining understanding
- Experimenting with different ways of being
- Integrating useful material
The intervention will be facilitated by psychotherapists trained in the Arts for the Blues model. It is expected that digital creative methods will support engagement, enable non-verbal opportunities for recovery and contribute towards the attractiveness and value of the intervention for children and young people.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/NW/0109
Date of REC Opinion
18 May 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion