This project was supported by the Public Health Agency through the Clear Project. Verbal developed and delivered a six-week Shared Reading programme to improve mental wellbeing and foster feelings of hope and optimism in those receiving cancer care.
It is imperative to improve mental wellbeing and optimism for those who have received a cancer diagnosis. Rates of poor mental health are over twice as high in those with a cancer diagnosis compared to those without (Hewitt, Rowland, & Yancik, 2003), and this has been attributed to increased fears, lack of control, and low morale.
As poor mental wellbeing can impact the treatment and recovery process, we aimed to improve mental wellbeing and morale for those receiving cancer care. We designed a Shared Reading programme to target aspects of positive wellbeing such as fostering a hopeful outlook, creating connections with others, the importance of self-care and more.
This intervention was delivered to those receiving cancer care at the Macmillan Health and Wellbeing Campus in Derry~Londonderry. Sessions were delivered by facilitators from Verbal.
Mental wellbeing improved in all participants. The programme helped participants to manage problems in their lives and helped them to feel closer to others.
We also found that all participants felt more hopeful and optimistic after taking part in the programme. Particular improvements were seen for the ability to solve problems, plan for the future, and feeling more confident and able to overcome obstacles.
All participants enjoyed taking part in the programme and would take part in a similar programme again. Participants enjoyed the storytelling nature of the programme as it helped them to relax and reignited their love of literature. The ability to discuss the stories and share their own stories helped participants to spend time with and make friends with others on their cancer journey.
The findings of this programme demonstrate the benefits of arts-based interventions in improving wellbeing and morale for those receiving cancer care, helping to create connections between those on their cancer journey and providing a creative avenue for meeting others and sharing their story.
To read the full report, please click here.
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