{"id":24,"date":"2018-04-06T16:31:14","date_gmt":"2018-04-06T15:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.dev.dundee.ac.uk\/artatthestart\/?page_id=24"},"modified":"2026-09-28T14:28:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:28:54","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/artatthestart\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Art at the Start project aims to publish high quality research as the project progresses and we will flag up publications here as we go along.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Evaluating Create Together<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The outcomes from a successful initial pilot of the Create Together art therapy groups were published in the Infant Mental Health Journal in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong and Howatson (2015) Parent-infant Art Psychotherapy: A Creative Dyadic Approach to Early Intervention. Infant Mental Health Journal. 36:2<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Outcomes from Create Together parent-infant art therapy<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We published the next stage of our research in the International Journal of Art Therapy, piloting the use of qualitative and quantitative measures to evaluate the outcomes for parents and their infants from attending the art psychotherapy groups<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong, Dalinkeviciute & Ross (2019) A dyadic art psychotherapy group for parents and infants \u2013 piloting quantitative methodologies for evaluation, International Journal of Art Therapy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Talking About Art<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PhD student, Holly Rumble, explored the impact of Dundee Contemporary Art’s Create Space on family learning. Her 2019 MSc dissertation, Talking About Art, is available as a PDF Talking About Art Full Report<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Integrative Literature Review<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have published an integrative literature review, looking at the evidence base for an art therapy approach with parents and infants together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong & Ross<\/span> (2020)<\/span> The evidence base for art therapy with parent and infant dyads: an integrative literature review,<\/span> International Journal of Art Therapy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Book Chapter – Mechanisms of change in parent-infant art therapy<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our chapter on the mechanisms of change in art therapy with parents and infants, including lots of examples from case material, has been published in Hogan, S (2020), Therapeutic Arts in Pregnancy, Birth and New Parenthood, Routledge , London.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our report – Art boxes supporting parents and infants to share creative interactions at home: an art-based response to improve well-being during COVID-19 restrictions – is published open-access in Public Health<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This report looks at our preliminary findings from interviews with parents who received a Home Art Box over the period of Covid-19 restrictions. We saw several benefits including increased parental confidence to make art together and increasing connections between parent and child. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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Case study on the Royal Society for Public Health’s AHP hub<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our case study on the work of Art at the Start within the DCA including art therapy sessions, public sessions and Home Art Boxes in an example of best practice in art therapy on the Allied Health Professionals Hub<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Engage Journal special edition on Class and Inequality <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vicky and Sarah wrote about how their activity to deliver art materials to vulnerable families over the pandemic was able to address inequalities in health and arts access in the Engage journal for visual arts and gallery education<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Public Talk<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vicky presented on our project at a Royal Society of Edinburgh event<\/a> focused on infant wellbeing after winning the RSE Innovators Award for Public Engagement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Full results from the Home Art Boxes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our full results of our interviews with parents on how they experienced the home art boxes were published open access in Frontiers, showing the potential of art making to support wellbeing and attachment relationships<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong & Ross (2022) The Experiences of Parents and Infants Using a Home-Based Art Intervention Aimed at Improving Wellbeing and Connectedness in Their Relationship.\u00a0Front. Psychol<\/em>. 13:732562<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Infant Voice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vicky worked with the Scottish Government Programme Board for Infant Mental Health subgroup looking at The Voice of the Infant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This involved gathering evidence on infant participation and developing guidance for best practice in how all adults who come into contact with babies can tune in to their communications and act upon them. This development is captured in this paper for the Journal of Infant Observation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best Practice Guidance and Infant Pledge<\/a> were published by the Scottish Government in 2023. Art at the Start is a case study example of good practice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Control Trial results of Parent Infant Art Therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full results of our control trial comparing parent-infant art therapy with treatment as usual have been published in the Infant Mental Health Journal. We used standardised measures and showed a significant improvement in parental wellbeing and their perception of the relationship. A second study used an observation measure and found positive changes for the infants in the kinds of relationship they were experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong & Ross (2023). Art at the Start: A controlled trial and close observation of parent-infant art therapy intervention. Infant Mental Health Journal<\/em>, 44, 720\u2013737<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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The perspectives of parents and caregivers accessing the parent-infant art therapy service were captured in this paper in Arts in Psychotherapy, available open access here <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong & Ross (2023). Actually, today was a good day, so today we’re doing all right: Parental perspectives on a dyadic group art therapy intervention for parent and infant wellbeing and attachments. Arts in Psychotherapy<\/em>, 85<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Scaling up Art at the Start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023 we were funded by the AHRC to explore rolling out the Art at the Start approach in partnership with galleries across Scotland. You can find out more here<\/a> and read our report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong & Ross (2023) Art at the Start: Creative community intervention for perinatal and infant mental health, UKRI Mobilising Community Assets to Combat Health Inequalities Report, University of Dundee.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Why work with babies and their caregivers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vicky’s chapter on why we should work creatively from the very beginning is published in Armstrong (2024) Very early art therapy intervention: why work with infants and their caregivers? Waller, D. & Scoble, S (eds) The Mental Health of Children and Young People<\/em>, volume 2, ECArTE\/ICRA series, Routledge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Taking the work outside<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pilot of Art at the Start groups happening outdoors in Dundee Armstrong, McFarland & Ramm (2025) Wee art in the Wee Forest: A nature-based community art therapy pilot, International Journal of Art Therapy<\/em> Special Issue on Nature-based art therapy.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Close Observation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chapter explores the Art at the Start approach to Parent Infant Art Therapy through a very close observation of one dyad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong (2026) Early relational intervention through dyadic art therapy with infants and caregivers. In De Zararate, Waller & Vaculik (ed) International Handbook of Art Therapy<\/em>, Routledge.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Using Observation tools<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout our work we have focused on how to capture the infant’s experiences of change. This led to the development frame by frame observation during the control trial phase and we later developed this into an observation tool for practitioners. This has now been validated and the preprint is available<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong & Ross (preprint, 2026) Validation of the VOICE (Visible Opportunities for Infants to Connect and Engage) infant mental health observation tool<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tool itself is open source and can be downloaded here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Art at the Start model<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chapter outlines the Art at the Start approach to Parent Infant Art Therapy and is illustrated with vignettes from art therapists who have worked with us – Catriona MacInnes, Ruth Switalski, Alison Ramm & Gillian McFarland, Melloney Flinn & Anna Shepherd, and Abigail Robertson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong, V. G. (2026) Parent Infant Art Therapy Groups. In Brady, M. R. (ed) A Practice-Led Handbook of Art Therapy with Children and Young People: An Ethical and Effective Approach<\/em>. Jessica Kingsley<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Art at the Start project aims to publish high quality research as the project progresses and we will flag up publications here as we go along. Evaluating Create Together The outcomes from a successful initial pilot of the Create Together art therapy groups were published in the Infant Mental Health Journal in 2015. Armstrong … <\/p>\n

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