ArtSpective™ for Perinatal Substance Use: Feasibility of an Arts-Based Intervention Addressing Stigma

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Public Health Interventions
• Mental Health

Background:

• Perinatal substance use (PSU) is associated with significant health risks for both mother and child.
• Stigmatizing attitudes among healthcare providers can create barriers to care for individuals with PSU.
• Novel interventions are needed to address and reduce stigma in perinatal care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and initial efficacy of ArtSpective™, an arts-based intervention.
• To determine ArtSpective™'s potential to decrease stigmatizing attitudes toward perinatal substance use (PSU).
• To gather preliminary data for future, larger-scale studies on PSU interventions.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post mixed methods quasi-experimental design was employed.
• Eleven nursing students with maternal-infant experience participated in a pilot test.
• Feasibility (acceptability, demand, implementation) and limited efficacy were evaluated using surveys and focus groups, with data analyzed via descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed rank tests, and constant comparative methods.

Main Results:

• Participants reported high satisfaction and demand for the ArtSpective™ intervention.
• Significant improvements in reducing stigmatizing attitudes toward PSU were observed (p = .003; d = .633).
• Recommendations for improving scalability were provided by participants.

Conclusions:

• ArtSpective™ shows initial feasibility and limited efficacy in improving nurse attitudes toward PSU.
• The intervention holds promise for reducing stigma in perinatal care.
• Further research and adaptation are necessary to enhance scalability and integration into existing educational frameworks.