U of M research finds creativity camp improves adolescent mental health, well-being

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (11/19/2024) — Published in Child Psychiatry and Human Development, a research team led by the University of Minnesota Medical School found that Creativity Camp, a two-week arts intervention delivered as a day camp, had a positive impact on mental health and well-being in adolescents with depression. 

The idea behind the study is that engaging in the arts offers a pathway for exploring and expanding new ways of thinking, developing insights and sparking self-discovery.

“As a clinician, I am deeply aware of the urgent need for new treatment options for teens with depression. The findings in this report are promising, and I hope they will encourage more research investigating whether and how arts-based interventions like Creativity Camp can help adolescents with depression to recover and thrive,” said Kathryn Cullen, MD, a professor at the U of M Medical School and child and adolescent psychiatrist with M Health Fairview. She is also a member of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. 

The research team continues to analyze brain imaging and cognitive data that was collected to evaluate the intervention’s neural and cognitive effects. In future work, they also plan to see if their findings can be replicated using an active comparison group and a larger sample. 

Funding was provided by Minnesota Futures through the University of Minnesota Research & Innovation Office, the University of Minnesota Medical School and the University of Minnesota Foundation.

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About the University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu. 

About the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain

The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) is a one-stop clinic, research, and outreach location specializing in children and youth with neurobehavioral conditions. By bringing together University of Minnesota experts in pediatric medicine, research, policy and community supports to understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat neurodevelopmental disorders in early childhood and adolescence, MIDB advances brain health from the earliest stages of development across the lifespan, supporting each person’s journey as a valued community member. Learn more at midb.umn.edu.