Manuel Hernández Belver

Contributions of an artistic educational program for older people with early dementia: An exploratory qualitative study:

Objective: To describe a contemporary artistic educational program based on photographic cyanotype techniques and to present the results of the program carried out with older people with early dementia. We determined whether these people could participate in the program, their viewpoint about it, and what this program could contribute to their experience. Method: Twenty-one people diagnosed with mild or moderate dementia participated in a series of artistic education workshops. While conducting the workshops, participant observation was carried out, and the participants’ engagement was assessed. Upon completing the series, five focus groups were held with the participants with dementia, and another focus group with their professional caretakers. Results: We observed the participants’ high level of commitment to the activity and their interest in learning new things. We also observed the participants’ satisfaction during the creative process and with their results. The artistic activities not only reinforced the feelings of capacity of the participants with early dementia but also transmitted a positive image of them. Conclusions: Dementia was not an obstacle to participation in the program, which was an opportunity for creativity, learning, enjoyment, and communication for people with dementia. In the authors’ opinion, facilitating access to art and artistic education to people with early dementia can contribute to enforcing their rights and to improving the care system.

The Effect of a Program to Promote Play to Reduce Children's Post-Surgical Pain: With Plush Toys, It Hurts Less

Various nonpharmacological strategies to relieve hospitalized childrens pain propose play as a central element. Play is considered an essential resource to improve the negative psychosocial effects of the disease and the hospitalization itself. However, the empirical research of play in health settings has not received much attention. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of a program to promote play in the hospital on postsurgical pain in pediatric patients. The research hypothesis was that children will manifest less pain if they are distracted through play during the postsurgical period. We carried out a randomized parallel trial with two groups, an experimental group and a control group. The control group did not receive any specific treatment, only the standard attention contemplated in the hospital. The parents of the children from the experimental group received instructions to play with their children in the postsurgical period and specific play material with which to play. The results obtained support the research hypothesis. On average, the children from the experimental group scored lower on a pain scale than the children from the control group. This occurred in the three postsurgical measurements of pain. It is concluded that the program to promote play can decrease childrens perception of pain.

Hospital Designs for Patients of Different Ages Preferences of Hospitalized Adolescents, Nonhospitalized Adolescents, Parents, and Clinical Staff

The design of hospitals should consider the needs and preferences of the patients, but the preferences of adolescents have received little attention. This investigation analyzed adolescents’ preferences for diverse hospital designs and compared them with those of the adults in charge of their care. Participants included were 345 adolescents—88 of them hospitalized—76 parents, and 46 health professionals. They all assessed three pairs of photographs of different hospital settings. Quantitative analyses were performed of the choices, and qualitative analyses of their justifications. The results indicated high agreement among the groups about which atmosphere was preferable for children and for adults, and also—with nuances—about the suitability of the nonchild-like atmosphere for adolescents. No important differences were found between hospitalized and nonhospitalized adolescents’ responses. The qualitative analyses revealed significant differences between the adolescents’ and adults’ response models in their ratings of the hospital setting design. The adolescents’ perspective seemed more sensitive than that of the adults toward symbolic aspects and the needs, experiences, and emotions of hospital users. The authors’ work reveals the need to consider the perspective of adolescents on hospital design, which cannot be substituted by that of their parents or of the clinical staff.

Art in a Spanish children’s hospital

This article aims to present and discuss a case study of humanization through art applied to a childrens hospital. Art is considered herein as a resource to improve hospital environments. The experience related to the improvement of these environments took place in the Childrens Emergency Unit of the University Hospital in Salamanca (Spain). After describing the context of the case study, some attention will be paid to the phases of the process, emphasizing the aspects linked to the care culture of children and their families, as well as the symbolic dimension of the space and the participation in the experience of diverse professionals. The case study is assessed from different standpoints, but special importance is given to parents’ opinions. Parents rated the service positively and stated that the artists’ intervention had been beneficial for the childrens emotional state.

Symbolic environmental mediators in health settings: the role of art in the humanization of children’s hospitals

In this article, a model to analyze children’s hospitalization contexts is proposed, based on the symbolic dimension of these health settings. The central concept of the model is one of symbolic environmental mediators, understood as environmental stimular signals associated with emotional experiences. Art is considered an environmental mediator in the settings of health care. From this perspective, various experiences of humanization through art in children’s health settings are commented on. The model was developed within the framework of a series of works about the degree of adaptation of pediatric hospitalization services to the psychosocial needs of the children and their families. The model allows a coherent description of real hospitalization settings and proposes dimensions to improve them.

Introducción: El arte y la mirada del niño. Dos siglos de arte infantil

En todas las disciplinas es conveniente, de tanto en cuanto, volver la vista atras y recapacitar sobre su evolucion, inquietudes y logros, pues esta mirada retrospectiva ayuda a identificar objetivos, consolidar propuestas o descubrir nuevas perspectivas. Puede ser oportuno que, en la entrada de un nuevo siglo, hagamos un balance, aunque somero, sobre la evolucion del arte infantil en estos dos siglos anteriores, aunque solo sea con el proposito de aglutinar esfuerzos, como trata de ser el presente volumen, para que el futuro de esta disciplina, la educacion artistica, continue en la senda que iniciativas como esta pretenden, y que no es otra que la difusion del conocimiento.

Estudio del comportamiento artístico desde la perspectiva psicosocial. El enfoque de Vigotsky

The authors set out the possibilities of Social Psycbology to offer a distinct explanation of the artistic behavior compatible with the approaches of History, Antropology, Experimental Psychology and Sociology of Art. Taking the work of Vigotsky’s as a starting point this article outlines the present situation of Social Psychology of Art pointing to some artistic phenomena that may constitute new and important ways for its development in the future.

Art museums as a source of well-being for people with dementia: an experience in the Prado Museum

Abstract Background: Several studies have revealed the positive effects that cultural activities may have on people with dementia (PWD). The goal of this study was to describe the design, development and evaluation of a programme of artistic education activities for these people based on visits to the Prado Museum. Methods: 12 people participated for two months in a program of artistic activities consisting of visits to the Prado. To determine the participants’ response to the programme, information was gathered through participant observation. Results: During the development of the program, the participant’s reactions of interest, engagement and satisfaction, as well as a positive effect on mood and social relations, were observed. Conclusion: The cognitive difficulties did not deter them from participating in the program, which had positive effects on the participants. It was concluded that the museum can be an important resource for the promotion of PWDs’ well-being and social inclusion.

Creatividad artística y demencia. Un estudio de evaluación por expertos

The goal of this study was to determine whether experts attribute a series of images created by people with dementia who were participating in a program of contemporary art education to artists or to people without prior artistic experience. In this way, we sought to obtain an indicator of the artistic quality of the images produced by people with dementia. Participants were 122 specialists in art to whom were presented 30 images, 15 works by professional artists and 15 created by people with dementia. For each of the 15 images created by the people with dementia, we calculated the proportion of experts who attributed the image to a professional artist. The results indicated that, in a significant number of cases, which varied according to the images, the experts attributed the images to professional artists. The judgment of the experts reinforcing the idea of the creative potential of people with dementia.