Hugh-Jones Sam, Ray Stephanie, Wilding Anna, Sutton Matt, Humphrey Neil, Munford Luke
Health Organisation, Policy and Economics, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, UK.
SSM Popul Health. 2025 Jul 22;31:101845. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2025.101845. eCollection 2025 Sep.
There is a growing body of evidence on the relationship between arts and creative activities and adolescent mental health and wellbeing. However, most research has focused on short, sharp creative arts interventions, and not on regular, day-to-day engagement with arts and creative activities. It is unclear the extent to which this complex relationship can be considered causal. This systematic review aimed to summarise the quantitative evidence on engagement with arts and creative activities and assess whether it supports causal conclusions.
We systematically searched 10 databases. We included any quantitative studies (cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies, natural and quasi-experimental designs, and controlled trials) assessing the link between regular engagement (multiple instances over a period of more than one week) with arts and creative activities, and adolescent (10-19y) mental health and wellbeing. We included studies published in English from 2014 to 2024. Methodological quality was assessed using JBI critical appraisal tools. Support for causal conclusions was assessed using the Bradford Hill Viewpoints.
Of 7769 records screened, 28 were selected for inclusion. Most studies suggested a positive association between arts engagement and adolescent mental health and wellbeing. We found some support for all Bradford Hill viewpoints, but less support for experimental evidence and a dose-response relationship.
This review provides moderate support for a causal relationship between arts engagement and adolescent mental health and wellbeing. More evidence from randomised experiments or generated by applying causal inference methods to observational data is needed to better account for selection, confounding, and reverse-causality.
关于艺术与创意活动和青少年心理健康及幸福之间的关系，证据越来越多。然而，大多数研究集中在短期、高强度的创意艺术干预上，而非日常对艺术和创意活动的参与。目前尚不清楚这种复杂关系在多大程度上可被视为因果关系。本系统评价旨在总结关于参与艺术和创意活动的定量证据，并评估其是否支持因果结论。
我们系统检索了10个数据库。纳入任何评估定期参与（在超过一周的时间段内多次参与）艺术和创意活动与青少年（10 - 19岁）心理健康及幸福之间联系的定量研究（横断面和纵向观察性研究、自然和准实验设计以及对照试验）。纳入2014年至2024年以英文发表的研究。使用JBI批判性评价工具评估方法学质量。使用布拉德福德·希尔观点评估对因果结论的支持。
在筛选的7769条记录中，28条被选入。大多数研究表明艺术参与与青少年心理健康及幸福之间存在正相关。我们发现对所有布拉德福德·希尔观点都有一定支持，但对实验证据和剂量反应关系的支持较少。
本评价为艺术参与与青少年心理健康及幸福之间的因果关系提供了适度支持。需要更多来自随机实验或通过将因果推断方法应用于观察数据得出的证据，以更好地解释选择、混杂和反向因果关系。
