Results That Matter
Clinical Research
“MinDArT delivers significant stress reduction for people living with dementia. Research in France demonstrated substantial decreases in both stress and anxiety, with benefits maintained over time. Our New Zealand randomised trial also found significant stress reduction for people living with dementia—measurably better than social engagement alone.. MinDArT can hold attention and create meaningful experiences for people living with dementia, with 96% engagement through the session in observations. Participants describe feeling "relaxed," "calm," and "absorbed" during sessions. Some families noted continued peaceful engagement in art at home. MinDArT makes stress reduction accessible through art—no meditation experience required.”
Dr. Susan Gee, Lead Researcher, MindArt (please refer ‘Our Team’)
“Mindart has proven to be a powerful complementary tool in supporting people living with neurodegenerative diseases and their supporters. It works on a sensory, emotional, and relational level, promoting overall well-being. Mindart helps restore presence in the moment, where illness tends to erase time, and preserves the human dimension of the caregiving relationship.”
Christelle Filleau, Psychologist specializing in neuropsychology: Rehabilitation, Autonomy and Aging Unit, Memory Resource and Research Center, Claude Pompidou Institute, Nice, France
Check out these two articles:
“As a MindArt facilitator at each session, I saw each person connect with nature and their senses - sound, sight, touch, smell, music and movement. People opened up, relaxed. Different parts of their minds and souls were stimulated. People connected with each other too.”
“As a Dementia advisor, I saw people’s mindsets change over the sessions. People became less focussed on trying to make a specific artwork and more able to accept they couldn’t control everything. People started “going with the flow”. People were sometimes surprised at their creativity, discovering they could do things in original ways and enjoyed releasing control for part of their week. An essential approach for people supporting family members who have dementia mate wareware.”
Tina Carter, Dementia Advisor, Dementia Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Qualitative data: Feedback from people living with dementia
‘Absorbing’
‘Autumn’
‘Awareness’
Beautiful
Bigger
Breath
Bright
Challenge
Challenged To Go Further Or Do More
Clouds
Collaboration
Colour
Complex
Concentration
Connecting
Connection To Myself
Control
“Cosmic”
Creating
Definitely Fun
Detail
Discovery
Endless Possibilities
Engaging
Engrossed
Enjoyable
Extending
Fauvist
Flow
Focus
Fulfilling
Gesture
Getting Lost
Grid
Grouping
Happy
Imaginative
Intricate
Layering
Liberating
Magical
Making The Connections
Messy
Nature
Obsessive
Patterns
Perplexing
Problem Solving
Puzzling
Reflect
Relaxing
Remembering
Repetition
Rewarding
Rich
Safe
Satisfying
Simple To Complex
Simplicity
SlowSoothing
Soporific
Spring
Star Gazing
Stimulating
Stress-Free
Tactile
Telling Stories
Texture
““A series of activities for challenging people with dementia to explore things to come, stimulate and keep their minds active.””
““It’s like another form of communication using different mediums.””
““It’s quite wonderful how it’s not judgmental you have the freedom to express and explore, and you have fun with like-minded people who are on the same path with their loved ones so it’s nice to be away and just to allow yourself to be in the moment and the freedom to express and using MindArt as a form. “”
““It lets you be in the moment in a relaxing, meditative state, as well as being stimulating.””
““There’s a lot of joy that comes out of these sessions.” ”
““There’s a lot of empowerment that comes out of it too.””
““It’s inspirational too, it’s opening your mind to different ways of looking at things.””
““You could have left me there all day, I just got lost in it, in pretty much all of those exercises.””
““As a MinDArt evaluator I have heard (and seen) the positive effects of the programme beyond the formal measures. The satisfaction of achieving something new, alongside and with others. The unsaid knowing of each other’s challenges, and unsaid support of each other””
Health Research Council Stroke Survivors Study
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“I have seen such a change in the participants from the start to the end of MinDArT. Now I see an ability for the participants to focus and relax with ease, and let themselves get lost in their art, without the stress of trying to make something look ‘perfect’. Everyone tells me how much they enjoy the sessions, and how grateful they are to be a part of the MinDArT space , it is a calm relaxing space for them, where I actively work on creating a space that is wholly accessible to them, without them having other miss out on any of the opportunities that MinDArT offers. I watch them enter each session excited to be there, and get to the end and not want to leave, I have also watch so many new relationships establish, and connections being built that I believe will last outside the programme as well. It has truly been a wonderful experience getting to provide an accessible relaxing space for each member of MinDArT.”
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“I enjoy it every time I come, it’s my comfort, when life has it’s ups and downs” ”
““This is my space where I come to relax, and do something for me””
““I enjoy not only getting to watch my art come to life, but others’ artwork as well””
““It’s changed the way I look at nature, I see lines, and circles and all shapes now!””
““I am so grateful to have had my stroke.. without it I would not have had so many opportunities, including MinDArT.””
Quotes from Stroke Survivors
MindArt in Action
Day Programmes for People with Neurological Conditions: France
““We tested MindArt in a day care setting with people living with a major cognitive disorder: it works!””
““With MindArt, it’s always a joy to see the smiles of the participants and to feel the reduction in their tension at the end of the sessions, thank you!” ”
““Mindart helps support cognitive and emotional abilities, reduce anxiety and promote non-verbal communication for patients with neurodegenerative disease.””
““Mindart provides caregivers with a space for emotional respite and strengthens the emotional bond through a shared experience, without performance pressure.””
The MindArt Digital Drawing in Hospitals
Burwood Hospital Christchurch Aotearoa New Zealand
The Mental Health Services for Older People at Dunedin Hospital,
Aotearoa New Zealand
““They said they really felt relaxed without the pressure of staying within the lines like you would with a colouring book. I’ve found that its great even for patients with tremors as they become less frustrated with making mistakes as you can easily erase what you’ve done”.”
““We’ve had lots of positive feedback, one of our ladies expressed that she found the MindArt to be “soothing and quieting her mind when it is usually so loud”, another patient said, “she really enjoyed the music and said that it was enough to lighten her mood without being too much”. Thank you so much again for having the MindArt application to use this with our patients, we really appreciate the opportunity”.”
Intergenerational Sharing
MindArt provides an ideal opportunity for intergenerational connection and exchange. This can happen within the MindArt programme itself or through resources designed for use at home. Any of the resources can be shared—whether two people use the digital drawing application together on one device, work side-by-side on separate tablets, or explore other materials together. These moments create opportunities for sharing, laughter, and discovery across generations.