This report, written in the context of the Devolution deal of 2014, explores the myriad roles the arts could, and do, play in the service of mental health in Greater Manchester (GM).
Greater Manchester was the UK’s first city region to have made the arts and culture integral to its health strategy. This report comprises a comparative study of practices in Finland and the USA, using a psychological perspective. Practical examples are presented, followed by Insights into how they apply to GM. The aims of the research were:
To apply the models explored to the context of GM Devolution
To consider the potential impacts of arts-based treatment options
To understand how arts-based interventions link to the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Standards of Care.

Dr Kat Taylor, a clinical psychologist and researcher from Lancaster, working with Arts for Health at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), travelled to Finland and the USA to study initiatives embedding the arts in health care.