SAFETYLIT WEEKLY UPDATE

We compile citations and summaries of about 400 new articles every week.
RSS Feed

HELP: Tutorials | FAQ
CONTACT US: Contact info

Search Results

Journal Article

Citation

Sherman MD, Larsen JL, Levy R. Prof. Psychol. Res. Pr. 2021; 52(6): 579-587.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/pro0000393

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Millions of American adults attend musical theater annually, and many productions address psychological themes, such as mental illness, substance use disorder, and suicide. Almost no empirical research hasexamined the potential role of attending and/or participating in professional musical theater as a means ofstimulating discussion and increasing awareness around the topic of mental illness, both for the actors andaudience members. Fifteen professional theater actors and/or directors were recruited via convenience andsnowball sampling. Semistructured interviews explored how musical theater with psychological themes canbe impactful for the production team and audience members, and the potential benefits and roles of aBehavioral Health Consultant (BHC) for the actors and audience. Principles of consensual qualitativeresearch guided the analyses. Five overarching themes emerged in the interviews, including the impacts ofmusical theater on the audience, actors' experience of doing musical theater with psychological themes,actors' commitment to an accurate portrayal of mental illness in characters, roles BHCs could play inproductions, and characteristics of effective BHCs. Consistent with recent calls for psychologists to servetheir communities, this study highlights an opportunity wherein psychologists may form relationships withand support local professional and nonprofit theaters. Numerous specific ways in which BHCs could assistboth actors and audience members surrounding shows with psychological themes are described © 2021. American Psychological Association


Language: en

Keywords

Mental health; Qualitative interviews; Actors; Behavioral health consultant; Musical theater

NEW SEARCH


All SafetyLit records are available for automatic download to Zotero & Mendeley
Print