African Oral History Quarterly | 09 December 2005

Urban Art Project and Mental Health Outcomes among Youth in Accra: A Randomized Controlled Trial

K, o, f, i, A, b, a, b, u, ,, F, r, e, d, d, y, A, g, b, a, k, o, u

Abstract

Urban art projects are emerging as a promising approach to address mental health challenges among youth in urban settings. A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted where participants were randomly assigned to either receive the UAP or a control intervention. Mental health outcomes were measured using validated scales at baseline and post-intervention. The analysis revealed that youth exposed to the UAP had significant improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety levels, and overall mental well-being compared to those in the control group (p < 0.05). The Urban Art Project appears to be an effective intervention for improving mental health among young people in Accra. Future studies should explore longer-term effects of UAP and consider scalability of this model across other urban areas with similar demographic profiles. Urban art, youth mental health, randomized controlled trial, Accra