Developing Novel Methods to Capture Health and Well-Being Outcomes of Community-Based Support: Testing Moodscope with Vulnerable Families

This project explores the potential of Moodscope, a mood-tracking system, to measure the impact of community-based activities on health and well-being. Moodscope uses simple cards to help people describe and score their mood states, offering a more engaging way for participants, especially those vulnerable or with previous negative experiences, to communicate their feelings.

The pilot study focuses on therapeutic art groups for adults caring for children with a parent in prison, run by the charity Children Heard And Seen (CHAS). By measuring mood changes before and after sessions, the project aims to assess Moodscope’s effectiveness in capturing data on emotional well-being. This approach could build trust between participants and organisations, and offer insights into how community activities impact health. Public involvement is key to developing and testing Moodscope, with plans to expand its use if successful. The project's findings will be shared widely, including through a short film, to promote this innovative method for evaluating community support services.