The work hurts

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the emotional impact on arts practitioners of working in health, social care and participatory settings and how supervision, or lack of, affects artists’ well-being. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was chosen to explore the lived experiences of artists working in this field. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five artists working across the arts and health spectrum, in a range of settings including children’s hospitals, hospices, prisons, older adults and rehabilitation wards. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using IPA. Four super-ordinate themes emerged from the analysis: this work as a calling; the psychological impact of the work; managing the impact through supervision and support; sustaining the professional and the personal self.