Creative Interventions Christina Emes is an OT working on the inpatient stroke service at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Here she shares the outcomes of a creative group she organised for inpatients to help with function and socialisation post stroke.
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stroke is a rapid, often catastrophic event. Effects can vary but often attribute to a complex range of motor, perceptual, cognitive and sensory deficits and using or understanding language can often be challenging. Symptoms of pain, fatigue, and low mood are often experienced by many individuals. As an occupational therapist working within an inpatient stroke service at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, I began to understand the impact that these factors have upon an individuals’ rehabilitation journey.
So, why use creative activities? As someone who engages in creative occupations, I understand first-hand the positive effects that these have upon my own mental wellbeing through relaxation, occupational ‘flow’ and the sense of personal achievement. Whilst researching creative interventions for stroke inpatients I discovered several successful stroke-specific art projects led by other NHS Trusts within the UK, and I came across a wealth of evidence to support using creative interventions in neurological rehabilitation. Specifically, Symons et al’s (2011) qualitative study outlines the positive effects provided by attending a weekly therapeutic art class for people
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with neurological conditions; through improving hand function, providing cognitive benefits and an opportunity to practice social skills. In Lee Ting Lo et al’s (2018) systematic review it was suggested by Demarin (2017) that different art methods were helpful in ‘stimulating’ various areas of the brain, and the ‘stimulation’ from these methods could enhance neuroplasticity, which is useful in aiding rehabilitation post-stroke. For many individuals, experiencing a huge ‘life event’ whilst losing functional, physical and communication skills following a stroke can lead to psychological effects and social isolation. Bolweck et al’s (2014) study highlights how engaging in regular visual artistic interventions facilitates the spatial improvement in functional connectivity in certain parts of the brain that are connected with psychological resilience. In addition, Morris et al’s (2017) randomised control trial outlines how art can improve self-efficacy and attribute to emotional wellbeing in stroke rehabilitation. As I began reviewing the evidence base and considering my own practice, developing a creative activity group for inpatients in a stroke service began to feel like an obvious choice for me.