Matisse Project

Update on Study Progress - May 2009

HEADLINES

• Over 400 study participants recruited.
• 30 art therapy and activity groups set up in Bath, Belfast, Bristol, Devises and London. Final groups in Belfast and London will be finishing later this year.
• Final follow-up interviews due to be completed in Summer 2010.
• Researchers are achieving excellent follow-up rates of over 80%.
• Study findings will be published before then end of next year.

We would like to thank  all those therapists, participants, researchers and volunteers who have taken part in the study and helped to make sure that the study achieves what it set out to do.

THE COMING MONTHS

• Study participants should not be offered arts therapies until they have completed their 2-year follow up interview.
  Researchers will be continuing to contact study participants to monitor their progress
• Some of those involved in delivering groups may be asked to provide some further information about how the groups went and the costs involved in providing them, thank you for your help with this.
• Please remember that queries about the project should be sent to Sakina Hossany and not to the local researcher who needs to avoid finding out which group (if any) participants were allocated until AFTER they have completed the final follow-up interview.

For further information about the study and to be put on a mailing to ensure that you receive a copy of study findings at the end of next year, please contact Sakina Hossany at: s.hossany@imperial.ac.uk.