The Usage of Creative Arts Therapies for African and Caribbean Children and Adolescents with Psychiatric Disorders

This project aims to understand how creative arts therapies, like music, dance, art, and drama, can help improve the mental well-being of Black young people in the UK.

Many young black people face mental health challenges, but the treatments available may not always meet their needs. We want to find out if creative arts therapies could be a culturally relevant and effective way to support their mental health. We will talk to Black young people and their clinicians to learn about their experiences and opinions. By listening to their voices, we hope to identify the benefits and limitations of using creative arts therapies.

Our goal is to improve mental health services for Black young people and explore new, ‘culturally competent’ (i.e. sensitive to people's cultural identity or heritage) treatment options. This study will provide insights that can lead to better mental health support and potentially offer a low-cost therapeutic solution that's accessible to a diverse population.