This book, written by academics across a range of disciplines, including healthcare and social sciences discusses the increasing use of the arts in healthcare research, which often stems from the recognition that for some topics of investigation, or when dealing with sensitive issues, the usual qualitative or quantitative paradigms are not appropriate. While there is undoubtedly a place for such approaches, arts-based research paradigms (ABR) offers, not only additional study and data-collection tools, but also provides a new and enjoyable experience for those involved.  
The use of the arts as a medium to improve health and wellbeing was well documented by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2019, with over 3,000 studies conducted around the globe on the value of the arts in the prevention of ill health and promotion of health across the life span. This book examines how the arts, in a variety of forms, can be used by those working directly in healthcare settings as well as those involved in research across all health or patient settings. Covering a range of ABR genres, including literature (such as narrative and poetic inquiry); performance (music, dance, play building); visual arts (drawing and painting, collage, installation art, comics); and audio-visual and multimethod approaches, this user- friendly book will appeal to nurses, researchers in nursing and allied healthcare professions, as well professionals in the social sciences, psychosociology, psychology, literature and arts.


Dr Kathryn Hinsliff-Smith is a Senior Research Fellow within the Faculty of Health Sciences at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. She is a qualified teacher (PGCE) working since 1995 within Higher and Further Education. She completed a Master's in Education Research Methods focusing on mature learners undertaking pre-registration nursing programmes leading her to develop this to her doctoral work on persistence amongst older and non-traditional entrants to pre-registration nursing programmes in the UK.  Dr Hinsliff-Smith commenced her healthcare research career in 2007 at The University of Nottingham. Her research is predominately around two main themes: the care of older people and domestic violence (DV) including sexual violence and how evidence generated is integrated into healthcare education. She has led research on older people living in care homes, transitions from acute settings to home or community hospitals and the involvement of family carers for those with a cognitive impairment. She has published widely on aspects of DV including systematic reviews and conducted empirical studies working closely with survivors and healthcare professionals using a range of arts based methods when dealing with sensitive topics. Dr Hinsliff-Smith is an Associate Journal Editor for Nurse Education in Practice (NEP) and is a Joanna Briggs institute (JBI) systematic review trainer. She has been awarded national and international grants and a Brazilian Fellowship to integrate her research focus into broader healthcare settings including the use of arts based methodologies. 
Prof Parveen Ali works at the University of Sheffield and Doncaster and Bassettlaw Teaching Hospitals. She is a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife (Pakistan) Registered Nurse Teacher, Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of Faculty of Public Health, UK. Prof Ali is Editor in Chief of International Nursing Review (A Wiley Journal) and editorial board member of Journal of Advanced Nursing and Journal of Interpersonal Violence. She completed her PhD from University of Sheffield, and completed MScN and BScN from Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Prof Ali's research focuses on gender based violence, domestic abuse, inequalities in health related to gender and ethnicity, and health care professionals' preparation. She is a mixed method researcher and has led and contributed to many different projects over the past decade.
She is a recipient of various awards including Mary Seacole leadership Award, Sigma's Emerging Nurse Researcher Award for Europe and Pakistani Diaspora Achievement Award. She also leads a health programme on a community radio station to raise awareness about different health issues. Prof Ali serves on various grant awarding bodies and research ethics committees in the UK and other countries. 

Professor Julie McGarry DHSci (Nottingham), MMedSci (Nottingham), Post-Graduate Diploma (Medical Ethics), BA (Hon) (Law & Psychology), PGCHE, SFHEA, a registered nurse (RN) in adult and mental health fields of practice and a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registered nurse teacher. Julie's expertise and professional background is in the field of adult and mental health nursing, safeguarding (adults and children), gender based violence and intimate partner violence/domestic and sexual violence and abuse with a focus towards survivors' experiences - the impact on health and wellbeing alongside the development of effective multi-agency (health/social care/criminal justice) responses. She has led on a number of externally funded research initiatives, working with international, national and local agencies in the development of safeguarding and domestic and sexual abuse services for children and families and survivors of abuse. Julie also has a well-established background in participant led research exploring effective approaches to domestic abuse identification and management through co-production of arts based narrative projects with survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM) and domestic abuse. Current research includes healthcare responses to sexual violence in South Africa - funded through British Council Global Challenge Funds.