Supporting health and wellbeing through creativity: a qualitative study with parents in economically deprived coastal communities

AIMS: Evidence suggests that engaging with creative activities can prevent poor health, promote good health and mitigate the impact of social disadvantage. Parents/carers living in economically deprived areas may face multiple barriers to engaging in creative activities. This study explored how primary carers of children aged 0-11 years living in economically deprived coastal areas of East Sussex engaged with creative activities to support their health and wellbeing. Our broad definition of creativity encompassed both 'everyday' creative activities (e.g. crafting, baking) and engagement with the arts and cultural assets. Barriers and facilitators to engaging in such activities, and perspectives on how participation in creative activities could be supported for parents were explored. METHODS: A cross-sectional qualitative design was utilised with semi-structured interviews and photo elicitation. Interviews with 28 parents (27 mothers) living in the coastal towns of Hastings, St Leonards or Bexhill were conducted in person or online during February-March 2025. Thematic analysis was used to generate, describe, and analyse themes within the data. RESULTS: Four main themes captured parents' experiences and perspectives of engaging in creative activities: (1) 'identity and engagement with creative activities'; (2) 'empowering engagement in creativity'; (3) 'challenges to creativity'; and (4) 'future opportunities'. Parents valued the benefits of engaging in creative activities (e.g. on mental health, self-identity and social connection) but experienced multiple barriers to accessing these, related to childcare, cost, location and confidence. Parents who had experienced and recovered from poor mental health were more likely to prioritise personal creative time as essential for maintaining their wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: Parents living in deprived coastal areas engaged in a wide range of creative activities that supported their wellbeing. Prioritising communication of, and access to, creative health opportunities for parents could add value to creativity, particularly everyday creative activities which may be more accessible to parents.