ARTISAN 2.0: Deconstructing the Integrative Efficacy of a Multimodal Art-based Intervention

Nanyang Technological University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Well Aging; Loneliness; Intergenerational Relations

Treatments: Behavioral: Intergenerational Art-space Condition; Behavioral: Intergenerational Storytelling Condition; Behavioral: ARTISAN Condition; Behavioral: Control Condition; Behavioral: Intergenerational Participatory Arts Condition

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04548115

IRB-2020-02-006

Details and patient eligibility

About

To address perceived loneliness via citizen empowerment, ARTISAN (Aspiration and Resilience Through Intergenerational Storytelling and Art-based Narratives) was developed by the Principal Investigator in partnership with the National Arts Council and the National Museum of Singapore. A 2018 pilot study was conducted with the aim to establish ARTISAN's intervention framework, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in promoting resilience, social connectedness, wellbeing, personhood and nationhood. The current research builds on the empirical foundation of the pilot study and seeks to deconstruct the ARTISAN intervention for gaining a deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms for promoting positive life changes among youth and senior participants such as reduced loneliness, enhanced resilience, psychological wellbeing, social connectedness and sense of nationhood.

Full description

Objective: The core objective is to critically investigate and assess the independent and combined efficacy of each key intervention components of ARTISAN's multimodal framework, which consist of: 1) full ARTISAN condition; 2) intergenerational participatory arts condition; 3) intergenerational art space condition; 4) intergenerational storytelling condition; and 5) control condition of physical activity.

Methods: Utilizing a five-arm, multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, 70 youths and 70 seniors (N=140) from 10 collaborating sites will be invited to participate in a 5-weeks intervention programme under one of five conditions (ARTISAN condition, Participatory Arts condition, Art-space condition, Storytelling condition, Control condition). Quantitative measurements will be taken at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and ten week post baseline the interventions.

Significance: The results generated will serve to illuminate the intricate pathways in which arts and heritage can cultivate positive life changes, and address misconceptions and about the pivotal roles that arts and heritage play in health promotion.

Enrollment: 140 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Youth between the age of 16 to 35
• Community-dwelling seniors above the age of 60
• Fluent in verbal English or Mandarin

Exclusion criteria

• Individuals who are unable to provide informed consent (or parental consent where applicable)
• Individuals diagnosed with major mental illness or cognitive impairment (If deemed appropriate, potential senior participants will be screened by the NTU research team using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE))
• Participants who had engaged in the ARTISAN pilot study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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140 participants in 5 patient groups

ARTISAN Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to this arm will engage in ARTISAN, a 5-weekly, 15-hour group-based arts and heritage intervention programme with specific intervention components including curated museum tours, facilitated storytelling and professionally-led art-making. The weekly intervention covers the five ARTISAN themes of national heritage, social bonds, adversity and resilience, dreams and aspiration, and community art exhibition.

Treatment:

Behavioral: ARTISAN Condition

Intergenerational Participatory Arts Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to this arm will engage in the participatory arts-making component of the ARTISAN Intervention framework. Youths and senior participants in this condition will engage in a 5-weekly, 5-hour, group-based professionally-led art-making that covers the five ARTISAN themes.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Intergenerational Participatory Arts Condition

Intergenerational Art-space Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to this arm will engage in the cultural space component of the ARTISAN Intervention framework. Youths and senior participants in this condition will engage in a 5-weekly, 5-hour, group-based a group-based curated museum tour that covers the five ARTISAN themes.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Intergenerational Art-space Condition

Inter-generational Storytelling Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to this arm will engage in the storytelling component of the ARTISAN Intervention framework. Youths and senior participants in this condition will be paired to engage in a 5-weekly, 5-hour, group-based guided storytelling activity that covers the five ARTISAN themes.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Intergenerational Storytelling Condition

Control Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to this arm will engage in a 5-weekly, 5-hour, group-based physical activity session conducted in the community.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control Condition