Arts as an intervention to improve maternal and infant mental health and wellbeing

Tender description

Invitation to Tender to join a panel of suitably qualified individuals or organisations to deliver arts interventions to improve maternal and infant mental health and wellbeing. This project envisages using arts to improve the mental health and wellbeing of long-stay hospital inpatients. It is recognised that early intervention in the perinatal period reduces stress, supports nurturing interactions, and lays the foundation for positive mental health and well-being. Specifically, qualified artist(s) or an arts organisation will come to the ward and deliver art and music interventions to either individuals or groups of inpatients at University of Limerick Maternity Hospital. The project will work with the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service in University of Limerick Maternity Hospital. It is anticipated that the successful candidate(s) will deliver arts interventions that draw across a number of art form disciplines (e.g. visual art and music). Collaborative submissions amongst individual candidates or organisations are welcomed. The arts intervention will form the basis of a research project run in conjunction with the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service. In this context, the successful candidate(s) will be expected to collaborate closely with all relevant hospital staff. Perinatal mental health disorders are those which complicate pregnancy and the first postnatal year. They include both new onset and a relapse or reoccurrence of pre-existing disorders. Their unique aspect is their potential to affect the relationship between mother, child and family unit with consequent later development of significant emotional and behavioural difficulties in the child. In this context, early interventions to support mothers in the antenatal period can contribute to positive infant mental health.