This project was delivered by Verbal in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support and the Western Health and Social Care Trust as part of the Macmillan funded 'Cancer: Through Our Eyes' Creative Arts Grant Programme. Verbal developed a six-week programme based on Shared Reading and digital storytelling 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 programme combining Shared Reading with digital storytelling, encouraging participants to write poetry to the theme of ‘Cancer Through Our Eyes’ which was recorded and used to create a digital output.
This intervention was delivered to a total of 10 participants at the Macmillan Health and Wellbeing Campus. Sessions were co delivered by facilitators from Verbal and the North West Cancer Centre.
Mental wellbeing significantly improved in 86% of participants. The programme helped participants to feel more rested, more active, more cheerful, and calmer in their daily lives.
Nearly half of 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 social aspect of the programme and the ability to hear and learn from the stories of others on their cancer journey. The friendly atmosphere cultivated by facilitators and group members was praised, particularly when dealing with such sensitive topic material. Finally, participants appreciated the ability to be creative and to share their cancer journey with the world as the video created from their stories will be showcased at World Cancer Day 2024.
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 an empowering avenue for creativity and sharing their story with others.
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