AIM-Greenland

Introduction

Mental health in Greenland is a significant national social and public health issue. This project will design, pilot, and evaluate an evidence-informed arts and health intervention intended to positively impact the mental health of Greenlandic high school students. It will do so through a co-creative process involving Greenlandic youths, artists, and public health professionals, as well as international arts and health researchers.

Scope 

There are four high-schools in Greenland: Aasiaat, Nuuk, Qaqortoq, and Sisimiut. Together, these have approximately 1,300 students. Through consultation with the Greenlandic Ministries of Health and of Social Services, GUX in Aasiaat (Qeqertalik municipality, western Greenland) has been identified as the pilot site for this project. The project will be open to 15–24-year-olds attending the school.

The project is currently in a preparatory phase, where a situation analysis is being conducted to better understand the contexts of the problem and the arts and mental health evidence-base for young people. Work in this phase includes: 

• A scoping review of evidence for arts and health in supporting young people’s mental health (REF)
• A grey literature review of arts and health projects supporting young people’s mental health, with a focus on the circumpolar region
• A survey of experts in the field and an open call for past and present arts and mental health projects, to further inform the grey literature review
• The selection of key partners, as well as the appointment of an advisory group
• Focus group discussions with artists, anthropologists, and experts in the field
  

The scope of the project will be developed through co-creation sessions run with young people in the school in Aasiaat, as well as with members of the artistic community in Greenland beyond Aasiaat. The co-creation process is a crucial piece of the design and development of the intervention itself, to ensure its suitability to the local environment.

The research project launched in 2024. The pilot intervention is expected to be implemented in Fall 2025.

Insights and Deliverables

Specific outputs will include:

• A project report, journal articles, meetings/project conference in Greenland, artworks, and multimedia
• An arts-and-mental health process guide

The process guide will document the steps taken during the project to co-create an arts and mental health activity that is locally grounded, community-centred, and evidence informed. The guide will aim to support scaling of the project so that it can be replicated in other schools, both in Greenland, in the circumpolar region, and beyond.

Project Team

The project is led by Nils Fietje (JA&HL, WHO Europe) and Calum Smith

Calum Smith (WHO Europe) alongside an expert implementation group, which consists of members from GUX Aasiaat, the Royal College of Music, Centre for Public Health Greenland, In futurum, and NYU Steinhardt.
The team is working to ensure the project is co-produced with young people as their views are at the heart of the research.

Funding and Support

Support for this project was provided by the Ilse Melamid Health Equity Fund.

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