Addressing inequalities in mental wellbeing

Below are some examples of inequalities – bear these in mind when working with people who might particularly benefit from doing activities that support good mental wellbeing.

Inequalities in engagement with nature

There is clear and growing evidence that connecting with the natural environment is good for our mental wellbeing, but the pandemic highlighted inequalities in access to natural space, for example:

Ethnic minorities have on average 11 times less access to green space when compared to people from white backgrounds.
Lower socio-economic groups place higher value on parks and green spaces, but only 46% are within five-minute walking distance of green space.
29% of people living with a long-term illness or disability had not visited a natural space in the previous month.

Evidence also tells us that increasing access to green space can be used as an important tool in the drive to build a fairer society – less affluent groups appear to gain a larger health benefit from increasing engagement with green and blue spaces than people from more affluent communities.

But it’s not all about access to big green spaces. Nature is all around us – encourage people to notice what’s around them and connect with nature in different ways. Creating moments that allow nature to take our attention, from listening to the sounds of birds chirping or taking time to appreciate wildflowers growing through the cracks of the pavements, can help to activate positive emotions and boost our mental wellbeing.

Inequalities in engagement with arts and cultural activities

There is strong evidence that taking part in arts and cultural activities can benefit our physical, mental and social wellbeing, regardless of our background and where we live. But access to, and engagement with, creative activities isn’t equal for everyone.

The number of people attending arts events across Wales decreased in 2022-23, whilst the number attending ‘no art event’ increased from 30% to 36% since 2019-20. Arts events includes activities such as live music, drama and reading events. However, being creative can also include other hobbies such craft, baking or knitting.

People who are less likely to engage with arts and cultural activities include:

Men
People living in the least affluent areas
People with poor mental wellbeing
People living in urban areas
Black and Asian ethnicity groups
Older adults (65+)
Those with a health problem or disability

As with engagement with nature, evidence also suggests that people living in less affluent communities can gain greater wellbeing benefits from increasing engagement with arts and cultural activities than those in more affluent communities.

Lower levels of engagement can be associated with having fewer local facilities or activities, cost of transport or the activities themselves, a lack of interest or previous negative experiences – for example, if people didn’t enjoy art at school.

However, we all have the capacity to be creative – we likely apply it in our everyday lives without realising it, from cooking and gardening to problem solving.

Encouraging people to try something new and connect with their creativity can help boost mental wellbeing.

The Wales Arts Health & Well-being Network has produced a short film describing the ways that the arts are being used across health and social care settings in Wales and bringing benefits for patients, staff and communities.