Primary school mentalisation-based art therapy (Primary-smART): a Person-Based Approach optimisation study.
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| Title: | Primary school mentalisation-based art therapy (Primary-smART): a Person-Based Approach optimisation study. |
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| Authors: | McDonald, Alex1 (AUTHOR) alexmcdonald.arttherapy@gmail.com, Kavermann, Sarah2 (AUTHOR), Holttum, Sue3 (AUTHOR), Lloyd, Bobby4 (AUTHOR), Zubala, Ania5 (AUTHOR), Bourne, Jane6 (AUTHOR), Hackett, Simon S.6 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape. Sep2025, Vol. 30 Issue 3, p126-137. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Parents, *Elementary schools, *Qualitative research, *Psychology of school children, *Psychoeducation, *Art therapy, *School health services, *Thought & thinking, Early medical intervention, Art, Interviewing, Art therapists, Internet, Photography, Evidence-based medicine |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom |
| Abstract: | Background: The children's mental health crisis in the UK continues to worsen and more and more schools are employing art therapists (ATs) to provide services for children experiencing social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. Although some studies have found indications of positive SEMH outcomes following art therapy, the evidence-base is still emerging. The initial development of a formalised art therapy intervention called Primary-smART included children, teachers, parents/carers, and art therapists. Indications from exploratory research showed this intervention could be helpful for children experiencing SEMH difficulties. Aims: This study aimed to optimise a Primary-smART toolkit to ensure it is acceptable, engaging and persuasive for ATs in preparation for a future evaluation study in primary schools with children. Methods: The Person-Based Approach (PBA) to intervention development was used to develop Primary-smART. In this study, feedback gained through online interviews with ATs was used to refine and optimise the toolkit. Results: The 18 ATs who participated in this study perceived Primary-smART as acceptable overall. However, ATs during Rounds 1, 2, and 3 had important concerns which may have resulted in barriers to using Primary-smART. Seven out of eight main sections were modified and no new significant barriers were fed back by Round 4. Conclusions: This study was successful in refining and optimising the Primary-smART toolkit. Results show that PBA methods enabled the research team to meet the study's aims. Implications for practice/policy/future research: Future evaluation studies are now needed to test the clinical, carbon and cost effectiveness of Primary-smART. Plain-language summary: The children's mental health crisis in the UK has continued to worsen, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more schools are employing art therapists to provide services for children experiencing social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. Although some research studies suggest art therapy can be helpful for some children, it is still not clear exactly how it may help or if it can be helpful for many children experiencing social, emotional or mental health difficulties. To test art therapy in this way, we need to develop standardised approaches that lots of art therapists can use with many children in different schools and compare their results and experiences. This study focused on completing a step-by-step toolkit designed to enable primary-school-based art therapists to use a specific approach, which we are calling Primary-smART. This approach combines artmaking with other activities to help children understand and manage their thoughts and feelings. In this research, we asked art therapists to help us improve the toolkit. Now that the toolkit is complete, Primary-smART can be used in future studies to test if art therapy is helpful for many children in different schools and find out what is and is not helpful about the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 187728650 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Primary school mentalisation-based art therapy (Primary-smART): a Person-Based Approach optimisation study. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22McDonald%2C+Alex%22">McDonald, Alex</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> alexmcdonald.arttherapy@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kavermann%2C+Sarah%22">Kavermann, Sarah</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Holttum%2C+Sue%22">Holttum, Sue</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lloyd%2C+Bobby%22">Lloyd, Bobby</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zubala%2C+Ania%22">Zubala, Ania</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bourne%2C+Jane%22">Bourne, Jane</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hackett%2C+Simon+S%2E%22">Hackett, Simon S.</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Journal+of+Art+Therapy%3A+Inscape%22">International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 30 Issue 3, p126-137. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+schools%22">Elementary schools</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+school+children%22">Psychology of school children</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychoeducation%22">Psychoeducation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+therapy%22">Art therapy</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+health+services%22">School health services</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thought+%26+thinking%22">Thought & thinking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+medical+intervention%22">Early medical intervention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art%22">Art</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+therapists%22">Art therapists</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Internet%22">Internet</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Photography%22">Photography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evidence-based+medicine%22">Evidence-based medicine</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom%22">United Kingdom</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Background: The children's mental health crisis in the UK continues to worsen and more and more schools are employing art therapists (ATs) to provide services for children experiencing social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. Although some studies have found indications of positive SEMH outcomes following art therapy, the evidence-base is still emerging. The initial development of a formalised art therapy intervention called Primary-smART included children, teachers, parents/carers, and art therapists. Indications from exploratory research showed this intervention could be helpful for children experiencing SEMH difficulties. Aims: This study aimed to optimise a Primary-smART toolkit to ensure it is acceptable, engaging and persuasive for ATs in preparation for a future evaluation study in primary schools with children. Methods: The Person-Based Approach (PBA) to intervention development was used to develop Primary-smART. In this study, feedback gained through online interviews with ATs was used to refine and optimise the toolkit. Results: The 18 ATs who participated in this study perceived Primary-smART as acceptable overall. However, ATs during Rounds 1, 2, and 3 had important concerns which may have resulted in barriers to using Primary-smART. Seven out of eight main sections were modified and no new significant barriers were fed back by Round 4. Conclusions: This study was successful in refining and optimising the Primary-smART toolkit. Results show that PBA methods enabled the research team to meet the study's aims. Implications for practice/policy/future research: Future evaluation studies are now needed to test the clinical, carbon and cost effectiveness of Primary-smART. Plain-language summary: The children's mental health crisis in the UK has continued to worsen, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more schools are employing art therapists to provide services for children experiencing social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. Although some research studies suggest art therapy can be helpful for some children, it is still not clear exactly how it may help or if it can be helpful for many children experiencing social, emotional or mental health difficulties. To test art therapy in this way, we need to develop standardised approaches that lots of art therapists can use with many children in different schools and compare their results and experiences. This study focused on completing a step-by-step toolkit designed to enable primary-school-based art therapists to use a specific approach, which we are calling Primary-smART. This approach combines artmaking with other activities to help children understand and manage their thoughts and feelings. In this research, we asked art therapists to help us improve the toolkit. Now that the toolkit is complete, Primary-smART can be used in future studies to test if art therapy is helpful for many children in different schools and find out what is and is not helpful about the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/17454832.2024.2339843 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 126 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Parents Type: general – SubjectFull: Elementary schools Type: general – SubjectFull: Qualitative research Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychology of school children Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychoeducation Type: general – SubjectFull: Art therapy Type: general – SubjectFull: School health services Type: general – SubjectFull: Thought & thinking Type: general – SubjectFull: Early medical intervention Type: general – SubjectFull: Art Type: general – SubjectFull: Interviewing Type: general – SubjectFull: Art therapists Type: general – SubjectFull: Internet Type: general – SubjectFull: Photography Type: general – SubjectFull: Evidence-based medicine Type: general – SubjectFull: United Kingdom Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Primary school mentalisation-based art therapy (Primary-smART): a Person-Based Approach optimisation study. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: McDonald, Alex – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kavermann, Sarah – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Holttum, Sue – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lloyd, Bobby – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zubala, Ania – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Bourne, Jane – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hackett, Simon S. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 09 Text: Sep2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 17454832 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 30 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape Type: main |
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