Co-creating a person-centered creative engagement intervention for Parkinson's care

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Arts and Health
• Medical Practice

Background:

• Arts-based interventions show significant benefits for health and well-being.
• Conventional healthcare often struggles with the multifaceted impacts of conditions like Parkinson's disease (PD).
• Integrating arts into learning environments from design through long-term care is recommended.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for an integrative approach in medical practice and neuroscience.
• To co-design a creative arts therapy intervention for individuals with PD.
• To establish a PD-specific creative engagement learning environment.

Main Methods:

• A participatory design-based research approach was employed.
• Fourteen individuals with PD collaborated with therapists and researchers in iterative design cycles.
• Qualitative data were collected via interviews, group reflections, and observations, analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• A 10-week creative engagement intervention was developed within a "creative playground" setting.
• Participants experienced autonomy in media selection and creative activities, with therapist support.
• Seven key features of the intervention framework were identified, including structure, freedom of choice, environment, therapist skills, PD considerations, finances, and design team responsibilities.

Conclusions:

• An initial framework for a PD-specific creative arts therapy intervention as a creative engagement learning environment has been established.
• Future research will focus on evaluating the intervention's effectiveness and scalability.
• Participant narratives are recognized as valuable scientific knowledge, enhancing care relevance.