Breaking down the barriers

Arts attendance and participation is a means of enhancing quality of life and promoting good mental health, but having mental health problems can impose multiple barriers to attending and participating in arts and cultural activities. Mental health problems are often overlooked as an invisible disability, but the issue is widespread, with around one in four people experiencing mental health problems such as depression, panic attacks, anxiety, severe stress or post-natal depression at some time in their lives.

To explore issues of arts accessibility for people with mental health problems, the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health conducted a survey of 275 people who currently experience or had previously experienced mental health problems. This was followed by six focus groups and two in-depth interviews. Participants self-defined as having mental health problems, and specific diagnoses were not solicited, therefore we use ‘mental health problems’ as a generic term. Findings showed that people who experience these issues are comparatively infrequent attenders of the arts and can face multiple barriers to attendance.

Despite this, many people reported positive well-being impacts of arts attendance, including feelings of enjoyment, creativity, community and escapism. Many people spoke passionately about their love for experiencing high-quality, challenging and stimulating arts events and activities. The arts were described as being a welcome relief that made people feel good when otherwise they were having a difficult time.

There are parallels between those with mental health problems and many first time or non-attenders. However, the nature of having a mental health problem can pose enhanced and complex barriers to attendance, and negative experiences can have long-lasting consequences. All members of society have a cultural entitlement to attend high-quality arts events, and people with mental health problems should not be exempt from this. The key to successful engagement is ensuring equality of access and providing the opportunity for people with mental health problems to attend the arts on their own terms, rather than be categorised as people with mental health problems.

Many of the barriers can be overcome by ensuring that people with mental health problems are empowered to make an informed choice about attendance. Providing clear information about productions, venue facilities and pricing can help to dispel worries, and for a venue it may be worth letting local mental health service user groups know what is in place already. Mental health awareness and a high standard of customer care amongst customer service staff is integral to ensuring that people with mental health problems have a positive experience when attending an arts event or venue.

Combined, these measures can help an individual with mental health problems to take the first step to booking tickets for an arts event which could have a positive impact on their well-being and recovery from mental health problems.

All members of society have a cultural entitlement to attend
high-quality arts events

Barriers to arts attendance can include:
• Fluctuations in symptoms or low mood on the day of an event

• Perceptions of arts venues as being intimidating and elitist

• Difficulties with transport

• Worries about needing to leave an event before it has ended

• Concerns about potentially upsetting content

• Affordability restrictions on the number of events that can be attended, the types of tickets that can be bought and the ‘optional extras’ that can be purchased

• Worries about being stigmatised when attempting to purchase concession tickets or asking for assistance

• Worries about ‘looking wrong’ (behaviour or style of dress)

• Worries that staff or other attenders may be unwelcoming or judgemental

• Worries about feeling uncomfortable in a crowd of people or sitting in close proximity to strangers

Enablers to arts attendance can include:
• Knowledge of cheap or free arts events

• Being supported by attending in a group or with a friend or carer

• Easily accessible concession prices for people with mental health problems and the possibility of a free second ticket for carers

• Returns polices allowing refund or exchange if an individual is unwell on the day of an event

• Having access to information about venues in advance

• Access to events which finish early or are likely to be less busy

• The provision of information about the length of performance, planned intervals, end times and warnings about challenging content

• Selecting an accessible seat in advance

• Welcoming and non-judgemental venue staff

• The availability of a quiet space in the venue