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Background and Objectives Among the various psychosocial interventions aiming at improving behavior, quality of life, and the well-being of people with dementia, one that has attracted recent attention has been object handling. This scoping review synthesizes available studies on object handling for people with dementia, their effects, and methodological characteristics and describes its components and likely domains. Research Design and Methods The search was conducted using CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Elite, and Art Full Text, plus review of reference lists and hand search. Data from the studies included were chattered and reported in narrative form. Results Eleven studies were included; of which, 9 described a group intervention and 10 investigated the distinctive value of heritage items. Studies used a mixed-methods or qualitative design and varied in their procedures, including number of sessions and length of intervention. Most studies reported positive effects on well-being, mood, and emotion in those with dementia. Qualitative investigations revealed that the co-construction of an object’s meaning facilitated new learning, social inclusion, and change in attitudes toward dementia. From the review and stakeholder consultations, a definition of object handling is proposed, which includes three components: presenting, receiving, and responding. Discussion and Implications The findings suggest that people with dementia may benefit from object handling interventions as a means of improving well-being, mood, and social inclusion. The review highlighted a variety of approaches used and a small number of studies were identified under the term of “object handling.” Further studies are needed to examine the complexity of object handling, its impact within dementia care settings, and that explicitly use the term “object handling.” Given the focus to date on heritage, archive, and museum objects, more studies involving the handling of everyday material objects are needed because these are by definition highly accessible.

Background and Objectives Among the various psychosocial interventions aiming at improving behavior, quality of life, and the well-being of people with dementia, one that has attracted recent attention has been object handling. This scoping review synthesizes available studies on object handling for people with dementia, their effects, and methodological characteristics and describes its components and likely domains. Research Design and Methods The search was conducted using CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Elite, and Art Full Text, plus review of reference lists and hand search. Data from the studies included were chattered and reported in narrative form. Results Eleven studies were included; of which, 9 described a group intervention and 10 investigated the distinctive value of heritage items. Studies used a mixed-methods or qualitative design and varied in their procedures, including number of sessions and length of intervention. Most studies reported positive effects on well-being, mood, and emotion in those with dementia. Qualitative investigations revealed that the co-construction of an object’s meaning facilitated new learning, social inclusion, and change in attitudes toward dementia. From the review and stakeholder consultations, a definition of object handling is proposed, which includes three components: presenting, receiving, and responding. Discussion and Implications The findings suggest that people with dementia may benefit from object handling interventions as a means of improving well-being, mood, and social inclusion. The review highlighted a variety of approaches used and a small number of studies were identified under the term of “object handling.” Further studies are needed to examine the complexity of object handling, its impact within dementia care settings, and that explicitly use the term “object handling.” Given the focus to date on heritage, archive, and museum objects, more studies involving the handling of everyday material objects are needed because these are by definition highly accessible.

Gesundheitsforschung. Perspektiven der Sozialwissenschaften., Cite as: Zürcher, Markus et al (2013): Bulletin 3/13 «Gesundheitsforschung. Perspektiven der Sozialwissenschaften».

People aged 65 and older outnumber children under the age of five across the globe. Data from the United Nations indicates that the growing aging population is not living better. Conditions such as dementia, stroke and Parkinson's disease are increasing with few effective treatments available. Psychosocial approaches to improve care are therefore urgently needed. Use of music in the care of older people is becoming common with a growing evidence base indicating positive outcomes such as reduction in anxiety, elicitation of memories, and improved communication. During the COVID-19 pandemic technology has provided the primary means of communication and service provision. This research used a case study approach to explore the impact of using WhatsApp during the pandemic (March - May 2020) to send daily videos and songs with and without musical accompaniment, plus tutorials for writing and singing songs. 27 people aged 60-87 years in Castellón, Spain took part. Of those, 12 were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. Data was analysed qualitatively using QuestionPro software. The results indicated the importance of musical activity in their lives and the difficulties experienced in using technologies including WhatsApp and GoogleMeet. Whilst participants valued the WhatsApp sessions they were not able to replicate the advantages of performing musical activities in person. In conclusion, technologies can help older people to remain connected to musical activities however training and support is required to facilitate effective engagement. This is likely to be an issue beyond the pandemic, for example for those who are geographically isolated or frail and unable to attend music activities in person. Nevertheless, new technologies support pseudonormality in musical activities for older people, providing an interactive platform when in-person contact is not possible.

At the heart of this paper is an exploration of artistic co-creativity involving people with dementia and their partners. Co-creativity promotes a relational approach to creativity which nurtures inclusion and participation. This paper investigates how co-creativity can affect well-being from the perspectives of people with dementia and their carers; and explores how well-being and agency might be usefully reconsidered. The article draws on findings from a small-scale study ‘With All’ that focused on music and dance as non-verbal and therefore inclusive artforms. A range of disciplinary perspectives, from psychology, philosophy and social sciences, inform the study. The research used an intrinsic case-study methodology and within this a mixed-methods approach was adopted. This included dialogic interviews, video data analysis and the Canterbury Well-being Scale (CWS). Thematic analysis of the interviews and video data revealed three key themes: autonomy, connections, and art as an enabler. These themes captured the experiences of the participants and facilitated a more nuanced understanding of wellbeing and agency in the context of living with dementia. The analysis of the CWS indicated some improvements in well-being. Following this analysis using multiple data sources, the paper argues that well-being and agency are best understood as relational, and ongoing, rather than completed states. Further both wellbeing and agency contain their opposites (ill-being and passivity). This innovative exploration highlighted the importance of co-creative collaboration as a method that was considered valuable by participants, and that therefore should be further considered in future research with people living with dementia.

Objectives: The arts are increasingly recognised as important and beneficial activities for people living with dementia. However, there is little peer-reviewed published research exploring artsbased learning for dementia care staff. In response, this paper explores (a) how dementia care staff describe forms of communication in care settings, and (b) the impact on communication following four sessions of ‘Creative Conversations’, an arts-based intervention for skills development. \ud \ud Method: Fourteen care homes received the intervention, delivered as 4x2 hour sessions. The intervention uses a range of activities (e.g. poetry, film, music, art making). Twenty–eight care staff were opportunistically sampled (mean age = 42.29), and provided pre-post qualitative data, obtained through interviews. Transcripts were analysed thematically. \ud \ud Results: At baseline, the dominant ‘task-focussed’ nature of care work was described as a barrier to communication, challenging opportunities for developing meaningful relationships with residents. Post-intervention, three primary themes were identified regarding improving communication: (1) learning through the arts (secondary themes: simplicity and subtlety, innovation in communication, and strengthening the role of non-verbal communication), (2) Enhancing creative approaches to care (secondary themes: element of surprise, confidence to experiment and catalyst for communication) and (3) professional introspection (secondary themes: development of empathy, sharing knowledge and experiences and a new appreciation). \ud \ud Conclusions: The intervention validated staff skills and confidence, enabling meaningful interactions that could be creative, ‘in the moment’, spontaneous and improvised. This arts-based intervention, which departs from formal education and fact-based learning may be particularly useful for the development of the dementia care workforce.

A collaborative ebook on the effects of the Brexit vote on the UK's cultural sector and its agents: "It's not just the economy, stupid! Brexit and the Cultural Sector", edited by Gesa Stedman and Sandra van Lente. Our contributors come from a broad range of cultural and artistic practice and many of them worry about two aspects which have come to the fore in the context of Brexit: the stark social rift which separates the Leave and Remain camps, and the nasty rise of xenophobia and insularity in all its different shapes and forms. Although our authors do not intend to be read or viewed as all-encompassing, and although they differ in respect to the focus they chose for their essays, poems, or statements, one aspect unifies their utterances: passion. Passion for the multi-faceted characteristics of culture, language, exchange, dialogue, border-crossings, passion for an outward-looking approach to both Britain, its different nations, and its neighbours close and far. A passionate fear of what Britain might lose in the process of departing from the EU. And the fear of loss does not concentrate on the loss of revenue or even on the probable obstacles to travel and artistic exchange once Brexit is in place. But the loss of ambivalence and ambiguity, the loss of conflicting opinions, texts, stances, diversity, in short: everything that culture, which is free to find its own forms of expression, is valued for.

Health Humanities: Beyond the medical humanities There is a growing need for a new kind of debate at the intersection of the humanities and health care. In the recent past the field of medical humanities has grown rapidly, but it is timely and appropriate to address the increasing and broadening demand from other professions to become involved, and to accommodate new sectors of the healthcare workforce. There are important cohorts of personnel in health care, a whole army of ancillary workers, as well as informal carers and patients themselves who have been largely left out of the medical humanities so far. Moreover, as different disciplines come to value the contribution made by the arts and humanities and new opportunities emerge in health for the development and inclusion of new approaches in the humanities, it is important that this expansion and debate is given voice and new fora are created for these new developments. The so-called medical humanities were the first on the scene in this field, and have developed strongly in the Anglophone world. But the time has now come for a more inclusive and international capture of material as other disciplines and different nations develop their own distinctive practice and theory. The expansion of the field therefore merits a new publication aiming to give a flavour of the full range of health care activities and the newly discovered relationships between these and the humanities themselves.

We report the findings from a study exploring the experiences of individuals undergoing MRI scanning for research. Semi structured interviews took place before and after scanning with 17 participants; 12 were healthy volunteers and 5 were patients with a diagnosis of remitted depression. Themes of apprehension and curiosity prior to scanning were common in both groups. Patients were often confused about the procedure. Negative feelings were an issue at the outset, characterised by shock related to the physical surroundings, after which positive feelings, for example relaxation, were often experienced, and in the case of patients, learning more about their brain. Written information about imaging was deemed satisfactory; however the ability to ‘experience’ aspects of scanning beforehand was suggested. Scanning may be viewed as a process beginning prior to the procedure itself and involving positive and negative emotions. Increased information, reassurance and a more interactive intervention to reduce anxiety may be beneficial and may improve individuals’ experience of this widely used procedure.

There is increasing recognition that to find solutions to complex problems we need to work alongside others from different disciplinary backgrounds. Many academics agree to this in principle yet it is difficult to be truly flexible in your thinking and behaviour when you have been trained within a particular discipline. In this presentation I reflect on the benefits and challenges of transdisciplinary working, and my trajectory through health, art and psychological fields, leading to my current appointment as Professor of Arts and Health and Head of Dementia Care at UWL.

Publications and a commentary on them. List of Publications [1] Tischler, V., Cumella, S., Bellerby, T. and Vostanis, P. (2000) A Mental health Service for homeless children and families. Psychiatric Bulletin 24, 339-341 [2] Vostanis, P. Tischler, V., Cumella, S. and Bellerby, T. (2001) Mental health problems and social supports among homeless mothers and children victims of domestic violence. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 47 (4), 30-40 [3] Tischler, V., Vostanis, P., Bellerby, T. and Cumella, S. (2002) Evaluation of a mental health outreach service for homeless families. Archives of Disease in Childhood 86, 158-163 [4] Tischler, V. and Gregory, P. (2002) A resettlement service for homeless and vulnerable parents. Housing, care and support 5 (4), 33-36 [5] Tischler, V., Karim, K., Rastall, S., Gregory, P. and Vostanis, P. (2004) A Family Support Service for homeless children and parents: users'perspectives and characteristics. Health and Social Care in the Community 12 (4), 327-335 [6] Karim, K., Tischler, V., Gregory, P. and Vostanis, P. (2006) Homeless children and parents: short-term mental health outcome. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 52 (5), 447-458 [7] Tischler, V. and Vostanis, P. (2007) Homeless Mothers: Is there a Relationship between Coping Strategies, Mental Health and Goal Achievement? Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology 17, 85-102 [8] Tischler, V., Rademeyer, A. and Vostanis, P (2007) Mothers experiencing homelessness: mental health, support and social care needs. Health and Social Care in the Community 15 (3), 246-253 [9] Tischler, V. (in press) Resettlement and Reintegration: Mother's Reflections after Homelessness. Community, Work and Family [10] Tischler, V. (under review) I'm not coping, I'm surviving: Understanding coping in vulnerable populations. Qualitative Research in Psychology