Robert Matthew Little

Dance as a Complex Intervention in an Acute Mental Health Setting: A Place ‘In-Between’

Introduction: There is little research on dance in acute mental health settings in the National Health Service. This study evaluated a dance programme in an acute setting. Occupational therapists collaborated with a professional dancer to facilitate the programme. Method: The literature review revealed that studies on the benefits of dance tended to focus on clinical outcomes. This study adopted a mixed-method psychosocial approach. It used the Herth Hope Index with 11 service users. Fifteen interviews were conducted with service users. Five members of staff were interviewed and film-based data were also utilised. Interpretation panels were used to analyse and triangulate findings. Findings: The study found that the value of the dance programme was related to its ‘in-between’ status. Dance connected the inner and outer experience of service users by engaging the creative imagination and translating it into movement. It also contributed to a hopeful but realistic sense of connection between mind and body and to social groups inside and outside the hospital. Conclusion: Dance is a complex intervention, which provides an appropriate challenge for service users in acute mental health settings while contributing to a sense of biopsychosocial integration. As such, it has much to offer contemporary occupational therapy.

A peer outreach initiative to increase the registration of minorities as organ donors

Background Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities are disproportionately affected by inequalities in transplant services in the UK. There are some indications from pilot programmes that appeals for BAME organ donors may be more effectively communicated by employing grassroots, community-networking approaches, but such initiatives have not been adequately described or evaluated. Methods Lay individuals from BAME communities were trained as peer outreach workers. They attended a series of public events to promote knowledge of organ donation and transplantation among the public. Information was gathered from 806 evaluation forms completed by event attendees at 34 separate events. From these, 54 follow-up interviews were conducted with event attendees who completed evaluation forms, indicated that they intended to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) within the next month and consented to follow-up. Results Peer outreach initiatives of the type evaluated are associated with increased numbers of BAME people registering as organ donors. A total of 8.8% of event attendees signed up to the NHS ODR. The programme was most effective with people who had previously considered becoming organ donors but who did not know how to go about it. It was less effective with people who had not previously considered it, or who were scared about signing up, or who feared family or religious disapproval. Conclusions Peer outreach programmes with BAME communities can be an effective way of reducing inequalities by increasing the number of people on the NHS ODR and encouraging people to think about the issue.