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Application of Art-Based Methods to Social and Youth Work
It Is OK
to Stay Sober
– a Case Study of Art-Based Methods
in Preventive Work against Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is one of the biggest issues risking young people’s health
and well-being. This has also increased the pressure on health education
concerning alcohol and drugs. The It Is OK to Stay Sober event aimed to
influence young people’s attitudes and to increase awareness of drugs and
alcohol abuse by using art-based methods. Furthermore, the intention was
to support young people in their own self-acceptance and appreciation.
The event was carried out in four Finnish secondary schools as part of the
MIMO – Moving In, Moving On! Application of Art-Based Methods to Social and
Youth Work project in 2011 and 2012. During these two years, the event was
attended by a total of about 900 7 grade secondary school students.
th
Event
A multi-professional team including substance abuse professionals from health centres, secondary
school teachers, nursing students, and drama students from Turku University of Applied Sciences
organised a preventive substance abuse education event consisting of small-scale theatre
performances, as well as an interactive small-group session. Drama and nursing students had two
joint working days for the planning of the event.
The contents of the performances were built to correspond realistically to situations of young
people’s life, and they showed situations alcohol use could lead to. In an interactive session, nursing
students discussed the emotions and observations evoked by the performances with the youth. Finally,
the youth had a possibility to write a new happier ending to one of the performances, after which the
new ending was played out.
Feedback
The feedback collected from the youth highlighted, in particular, the realism and poignancy of
the performances. Many thought that the disadvantages and risks of alcohol use were easier to
understand with the help of a theatrical performance than from a lecture. The majority of participants
reported that the event got them to think about issues related to alcohol use.
Secondary school teachers and substance abuse professionals felt that, because of the pragmatism
and inclusive character, the realistic presentation and small-group discussion based on it is a very
effective method in preventive work. It gives young people an opportunity to really think about the
consequences of their own choices without creating unnecessary horror pictures.
Both nursing and drama students found multi-professional co-operation to be successful and
meaningful. Working together also taught them to appreciate each other’s skills. Sharing ideas and
experiences with different professionals were considered relevant to the professional development.
Authors from Turku University of Applied Sciences:
Lecturer, M.Sc. Sari Kallio-Kökkö • Project Manager, M.Sc. Johanna Krappe, [email protected]
Senior Lecturer, M.Sc. Irmeli Leino • Project Planner, M.Soc.Sc. Anna Tonteri • Photos: Stefanel Oey
The content of the publication reflects the author’s views and the Managing Authority cannot be held liable for the information published by the project partners.
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