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Acceptability and feasibility of a theatre-based wellness programme to support people living with long COVID, 2024, Burton et al.

Discussion in 'Psychosomatic research - ME/CFS and Long Covid' started by SNT Gatchaman, Jul 2, 2024.

  1. SNT Gatchaman

    SNT Gatchaman Senior Member (Voting Rights) Staff Member

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    Acceptability and feasibility of a theatre-based wellness programme to support people living with long COVID: a single-arm feasibility study
    Alexandra Burton; Jessica K Bone; Kate Lawrence-Lunniss; Keir EJ Philip

    OBJECTIVES
    To determine acceptability and feasibility of a theatre-based wellness programme to support the health and well-being of people with long COVID.

    DESIGN
    Single-group, repeated-measures feasibility study.

    SETTING
    Community centre and online.

    PARTICIPANTS
    Adults with diagnosed long COVID experiencing breathlessness, pain and/or loneliness.

    INTERVENTION
    Six-week participatory creative programme delivered to one online and one in-person group facilitated by movement, voice and drama consultants using breathing, visualisation, singing, poetry, storytelling and movement exercises.

    PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES
    Programme acceptability and feasibility measured via uptake, reasons for non-attendance and barriers to engagement.

    SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES
    Feasibility of recruitment and data collection procedures measured through proportion of missing data and follow-up rates, mechanisms of action of the programme identified through qualitative interviews, changes in mental health, well-being, quality of life, loneliness, social support, fatigue, breathlessness and post-COVID-19 functional status at 8-week follow-up.

    RESULTS
    21 people expressed interest in participating, 20 people took part in the programme, 19 completed baseline and 16 completed follow-up assessments. Participants attended an average of 4.8 of 6 sessions (SD=1.5, range 2–6). Exploratory analyses demonstrated significant improvements in self-rated health (t-test mean difference=0.12, 95% CI=0.00, 0.23, p=0.04) and chronic fatigue symptoms (mean difference=−3.50, 95% CI=−6.97, –0.03, p=0.05) at 8 weeks. Key mechanisms of action that supported health and well-being included: increased sense of community, illness acceptance, experiencing joy, increased confidence in managing everyday life, increased ability to relax and reconnection with previous identity. Barriers to engagement included: activities being outside of the participant's comfort zone, ongoing long COVID symptoms, emotional consequences of sharing experiences and connectivity and connecting online.

    CONCLUSIONS
    A 6-week theatre-based programme was perceived as acceptable to most participants and resulted in some positive psychosocial impacts. The findings provide a rationale for supporting the ongoing development and scale-up of this and related arts programmes to support people living with long COVID.


    Link | PDF (BMJ Open) [Open Access]
     
    SNT Gatchaman, Jul 2, 2024
    #1
    Kitty, Deanne NZ, Peter Trewhitt and 2 others like this.
  2. SNT Gatchaman

    SNT Gatchaman Senior Member (Voting Rights) Staff Member

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    Literally healthcare theatre.
     
    SNT Gatchaman, Jul 2, 2024
    #2
    bobbler, EzzieD, MEMarge and 18 others like this.
  3. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

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    It probably did. At least it seems to be clear that this is support rather than therapy.

    But let's not pretend that this is medicine. At best, it's a patient support group that provides some income to people in the arts.

    Is it the best use of scarce health funds? I don't think so.
     
    Hutan, Jul 2, 2024
    #3
    bobbler, EzzieD, MEMarge and 16 others like this.
  4. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    So, zero difference with any random alternative medicine that happens to feature some group entertainment. Or an actual circus. Given that the problem is not psychosocial issues, how is that any relevant here? The problem is symptoms and how disabling they are. This is worthless BS.
    But they'll talk about avoiding support groups and online communities. Unless they run them, of course.

    Great use of very expensive health care resources there. This is really the kind of stuff that people should go and study 10 years, at a cost of $1M each, to accomplish. It follows the standard set by Wessely's entire career, summed as: it may be of help to some. Of what help? Definitely not the kind that's needed, but they don't care much about that.
     
    rvallee, Jul 2, 2024
    #4
    bobbler, EzzieD, MEMarge and 13 others like this.
  5. Sean

    Sean Moderator Staff Member

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    Should have had a control group that just gave the patients the money that would have been handed to the arts practitioners.
     
    Sean, Jul 3, 2024
    #5
    bobbler, EzzieD, alktipping and 13 others like this.
  6. Kitty

    Kitty Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    It's that bloody word wellness again.

    These projects can be great for social cohesion, such as bringing together people with very different lives to work on something shared. For giving a voice to people whose stories rarely get heard, like refugees. For reducing isolation, e.g. people whose world has been knocked off course by an illness nobody understands.

    It can be extraordinary powerful when it's done well. I did it for most of my career and I'm proud of it, but it's frustrating to see it used like this. It's the sort of thing a well-run society offers, like free libraries, but it isn't healthcare and it shouldn't be confused with healthcare.
     
    Kitty, Jul 3, 2024
    #6
    oldtimer, bobbler, EzzieD and 11 others like this.
  7. NelliePledge

    NelliePledge Moderator Staff Member

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    No it should not @Kitty sounds like a beano to me presumably the research people had to trial it before putting together their project, nice day or so away from doing proper work.
     
    NelliePledge, Jul 3, 2024
    #7
    oldtimer, EzzieD, Kitty and 6 others like this.
  8. Joan Crawford

    Joan Crawford Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Yup :wtf:
     
    Joan Crawford, Jul 3, 2024
    #8
    oldtimer, EzzieD, Kitty and 6 others like this.
  9. TiredSam

    TiredSam Committee Member

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    Send in the clowns.
     
    TiredSam, Jul 7, 2024
    #9
    oldtimer, Hutan, shak8 and 5 others like this.
  10. bobbler

    bobbler Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    The ‘how many thought it was acceptable’ measure is nonsense.

    participants were recruited to the programme by the old vic. And were capped at capacity.

    so the number isn’t a measure - it’s yes we found 20 interested and able enough they signed up to what they knew the programme was, out of a theoretical vast number of long covid patients within a reachable distance. And those who did sign up generally were interested and able enough to do it. But that was capped at 20. As a one off.

    it isn’t externally valid to say that replicates to a wider population or even to them repeating it next year and either trying to get another 20 newbies or getting the same lot to do it agsin?

    And it’s the old vic so I’m not sure some amateur version in a village hall or even a less lauded theatre could be said to have the same draw.

    they were measuring ‘acceptability’ not if it improved their condition and I think quality of and curiosity in getting it run by such as wellreputed company will have been a huge factored-in part of people answering ‘was it worth it’ on that fuzzy generic front?
     
    bobbler, Jul 8, 2024
    #10
    Sean, Lou B Lou, Trish and 4 others like this.

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