By Kerry Jones

I’m writing today about research that has been undertaken and projects in development which explores experiences of death anxiety and of loss through the medium of the arts.

Young people and the Covid-19 pandemic

The research concerning children and young people came about because of the pandemic and the closure of key mental health services. Our approach was based on the premise that art can provide a very natural and safe way for children to express themselves. They can play, experiment, make a mess, create stories, use metaphors to represent feelings, explore alternative narratives, externalise their feelings by creating characters, reflect, and share their art with others.

Through this research we aimed to provide new insights into the impact of Covid-19 on death anxiety and emotional stressors of children aged 9-10 as well as young people aged 11-16 years of age (through surveys and interviews).

Children were asked to draw and provide a metaphor which represented their thoughts, feelings and experiences which were analysed using a phenomenographic approach.

Children's drawings and descriptive words matched and showed their levels of awareness of the seriousness of the pandemic. Children were sometimes worried about their own health but appeared to be more concerned about the health and wellbeing of those around them. They were also negatively impacted in terms of emotional and psychological health.

We published this research in two articles. The first explored ‘Covid-19: the impact of the pandemic and resulting support needs of children and young people’ and the second focussed on ‘Children's Experiences of Death Anxiety and Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic’.

The positives

While for many children the lockdown meant having to spend time away from their friends, for many children it also brought about the opportunity to spend more time with family due to parents being furloughed or working from home.

What we know from this project is that art can stimulate a child or young person’s ability to connect with the world around them, and nurture confidence and a capacity for autonomous thought and to manage challenging life circumstances.

Arts as a medium in our current research

Turning now to research in development, the creative medium of the arts and theatre, and  its potential to enable the expression of emotions is transforming the way we think of gaining insight into the lived experience of loss concerning men and fathers following perinatal death. These themes are explored in a forthcoming book edited by Dr Kerry Jones and Dr Martin Robb entitled ‘Men and Loss: New Perspectives on Bereavement, Grief and Masculinity’ and an Open Societal Challenge which seeks to inform and transform research and practice priorities with bereaved fathers and health professionals. Furthermore, the role of the arts as a powerful medium to support people who provide care for family members with dementia will be further explored with a recently-funded AHRC Open, Oxford and Cambridge doctoral studentship led by Dr Kerry Jones and Professor Nicola Yeates with Emma Smith, AgeUK, Salford.

It is also important to acknowledge the achievements of artists and performers that specialise in working with marginalised members of society. The methods they have developed over time have made, and continue to have, a tangible and positive impact on individual lives. This is demonstrated by a significant body of research which makes a strong case for the arts as a transformative medium by which to foster collaboration and the sharing of lived experience to effect change.

For resources concerning the fathers’ experience of perinatal loss project: