Using art and nature to enhance well-being (Version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Using art and nature to enhance well-being: perspectives from older people and people living with dementia
IRAS ID
359161
Contact name
Sally Stapley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hertfordshire, UK
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
n/a, n/a
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 10 months, 30 days
Research summary
Building on previous work from the ENLIVEN project at Strawberry Hill House and Gardens (SHHG) [https://enlivenproject.co.uk/strawberry-hill-house-and-garden-twickenham/], a 3-year project with SHHG is proposed to examine the perceived impact of nature and art therapy on the well-being of people living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners (e.g. family members/friends) within the context of their leisure lives. PLWD and their care partners will attend a series of 2-hour monthly art therapy sessions at SHHG. A comparison group of older people (without dementia) attending a separate series of the same session types (e.g. creating paper flowers and planting edible flowers) will also be recruited. Session attendees in both groups will have been recruited by SHHG via their Partnership Development Team. Where consent is provided to take part in the research, predominantly qualitative data collection will comprise the following with PLWD, their care partners, and older people (without dementia) from the two groups: a first qualitative interview (incl. collection of self-reported sociodemographic and health-related information) – conducted in Year 1, a follow up qualitative interview incorporating a brief leisure satisfaction scale to facilitate the interview discussion - also in Year 1 (approximately 6 months after the first interview), further follow up interviews conducted once in Years 2 and 3, ‘in session’ quantitative/qualitative observation of individual workshop sessions and group engagement by individual workshop attendees recruited to the study, and ‘end of session’ evaluation cards. Qualitative interviews will also be conducted annually in Years 1, 2 and 3 with SHHG staff/volunteers and the arts facilitator running the sessions. (The start date for sessions run by SHHG was April 2025. Research data collection by UH Staff is anticipated to commence as soon as possible, once ethical approval has been granted. SHHG are also conducting their own evaluation).
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
25/WA/0228
Date of REC Opinion
26 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion