Arts & Youth Mental Health

Introduction

The mental health of young people (ages 12 - 25) has been steadily declining for the last two decades with increased rates of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, self-harm and suicide (Lancet, 2024a). Arts-based programs can promote healthy youth development by improving problem-solving skills, social competence, and a sense of purpose while helping to alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness (Golden et. al,  2024). This research project aims to understand the role of arts engagement in supporting young people's mental health with a view to develop a technical brief to guide policy.

Scope 

The research project launched in September 2024 with the goal to produce a policy brief by October 2025. The research team will employ a mixed methods approach and will seek to strike a balance between academic rigor and efficacy. The research project will include several strands conducted in parallel, including: a scoping review, a survey, a grey-literature search and focus groups with young people.

• The scoping review will examine the quantitative, qualitative and mixed evidence in the literature base discussing how the arts can support the mental health of young people. The protocol has been published on Open Science Framework. 
• The survey will be shared with a select pool of experts and stakeholders across the arts and youth mental health landscape. The survey will focus on the successes and challenges for existing programs.
• The grey literature search will take place through a public call for projects, initiatives, and reports that speak to the intersection between youth mental health and the arts. 
• Focus groups will be held to ensure the inclusion of young people’s perspectives within the research.

Findings from these diverse data collection methods will be synthesized in a policy brief. The key findings will be summarized under mental health promotion / prevention and mental health treatment. 

Insights and Deliverables

This brief is the third in a series of briefs initiated by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, on the role of the arts in addressing health concerns. The series presents the evidence underlining how artistic engagement can support priority health areas and provides recommendations for policymakers. 

The research team will also aim to produce scholarly manuscripts that describe the research process in greater depth, such as an article on the scoping review and the survey results.

Project Team

This project is co-led by Dr Nisha Sajnani (the Lab, NYU Steinhardt), Dr Nils Fietje (the Lab, WHO/Europe), and Dr. Ameer Shaheed (WHO/Europe). The research team consists of members from the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, NYU Steinhardt, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Royal College of Music, Danish National Centre for Arts and Mental Health, National University of Singapore, Chinese Arts and Health Collective, Queen Mary University of London, Cairo University, International Teaching Artists Collaborative, The Art Therapy Association of India, CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Shamiri Institute, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience.

Funding and Support

Support for this project was provided by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab.

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