Arts-based interventions for maternal well-being: a systematic review

Supporting mothers to maintain good physical and mental health is a key public health concern because of the long-term social and economic implications for them and their children. Arts and health programmes offer a positive social return on investment and provide healthcare commissioners with lower-cost alternatives to clinical models of care. This systematic review examines published studies that examine the relationship between arts-based activity and maternal health and/or wellbeing. The objective was to provide a comprehensive picture of the ways in which arts-based practices were already being used; some of the outcomes that had been identified; and the way in which outcomes were being measured, evaluated and documented. The review followed the PRISMA guide for systematic reviews. Studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for reviewing Studies with Diverse Designs (QATSDD). A meta-synthesis of data from the qualitative studies was carried out to generate themes. Eleven studies were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. It was found that there is a lack of peer-reviewed research into the impact of arts-based interventions on maternal populations. Whilst the published research is of varying degrees of methodological rigour and reporting of data, some common themes around the social, psychological, and emotional benefits were identified. The results suggest that there is a role for arts-based interventions to be used (i) as social support for women during the transition to motherhood; (ii) to facilitate recovery from diagnosed mental disorders such as postnatal depression; (iii) to prevent stress, anxiety and isolation.