Purpose

The effects of arts engagement on older adults have been well-documented. However, the ways older adults overcome common situational and dispositional barriers to enhance personal growth and well-being are less known.

Methods

Fifty-six community dwelling older adults (71.3 ± 4.6 years) took part in dance, music, or a control workshop two times/week for ten weeks. Participants' personal growth was examined through focus groups and surveys in this mixed-methods study.

Results

Focus group and survey results revealed participants experienced personal growth through engaging in the dance and music arms of the experiment. Participants, especially those in arts workshops, described personal growth experiences aligning with four themes: increased social connections, developed new skills, utilized a growth mindset, and used creativity to overcome situational and dispositional barriers to participation. The barriers included musculoskeletal challenges, hearing impairments, and difficulty retaining new information.

Conclusions

The study yielded high adherence and retention rates, and participants reported increased engagement within their communities. Our observations provide avenues for future practitioners and facilitators to create programming that empowers older adults and utilizes participants' ongoing feedback to support access, inclusion, and sense of community.

中文翻译：

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社区艺术参与支持老年人对个人成长的看法

目的

艺术参与对老年人的影响已有充分记录。然而，老年人克服常见的情境和性格障碍以促进个人成长和福祉的方法却鲜为人知。

方法

56 名社区居住的老年人（71.3 ± 4.6 岁）参加了舞蹈、音乐或控制研讨会，每周两次，持续十周。在这项混合方法研究中，通过焦点小组和调查来检查参与者的个人成长。

结果

焦点小组和调查结果显示，参与者通过参与实验的舞蹈和音乐部门经历了个人成长。参与者，尤其是艺术研讨会的参与者，描述了与四个主题相一致的个人成长经历：增加社会联系、发展新技能、利用成长心态以及利用创造力克服参与的情境和性格障碍。这些障碍包括肌肉骨骼挑战、听力障碍以及难以保留新信息。

结论

该研究产生了很高的依从性和保留率，参与者报告说他们在社区中的参与度有所提高。我们的观察为未来的从业者和促进者提供了途径，以创建赋予老年人权力的项目，并利用参与者的持续反馈来支持访问、包容和社区意识。