Appendices: search strings, topic guides and poll outputs

1. The full literature search

Every search string run, with its scope and its result count, across six indexes. Counts are live as at August 2026 and will drift as databases grow.

How to read it. The counts collapse at the same two points every time: when the search requires a UK context, and when it requires the practitioner rather than the participant. That collapse is the gap the study occupies.

UCL Library Search

PubMed

PMC

ScienceDirect

The BMJ

The Lancet

The screening funnel

Applied to the Web of Science set, and representative of every index searched.

Publication growth, 2015 to 2025

The field is expanding on every index searched. Shown as each database's share of its own decade total, so two very differently sized databases can be compared.

2. Topic guides

The question guides used in the interviews and the focus groups. Both were amended mid-study, with UCL approval, to correct terminology. The versions below are the amended ones.

These are published in full so that anyone running similar research can reuse or challenge them.

2a. Interview guide, first version

Topic Guide for 1-to-1 Interviews with Artists and Creative Facilitators (DRAFT) Purpose: To explore the individual perspectives of artists and creative facilitators on their work with refugee narratives, gathering insights to inform the focus group discussion. (3 Participants)

1. Introduction:

• Briefly introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the interview.
• "Can you tell me a little about yourself and your artistic background?"
• "What led you to collaborate with Counterpoints as an artist/creative?"

2. Artistic Practice and Personal Influence:

• "What inspires your artistic work?"
• "How does your personal experience influence your art?"
• "Can you discuss any specific experiences or stories that have shaped your artistic journey?"

3. Refugee Narratives:

• "How do you incorporate refugee stories and experiences into your creative work?"
• "What themes or messages do you aim to communicate through your art/work?"
• "Can you describe your creative process when working on refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker themes (themes of displacement)?"

4. Impact of Art:

• "What reactions or responses have you observed from audiences regarding your work?"
• "How do you think your art influences public perceptions of 'refugees'/asylum seekers/sanctuary seekers and displacement/migration?"
• "Can you share any experiences where your work has influenced community engagement or dialogue?"

5. Art and Creative Health Policy:

• "Do you have any understanding of what 'creative health' entails?"
• "What role do you believe art can play in shaping health and wellbeing policies in the UK?" - (Note: Can also ask about the international impact of their work if UK policy/impact is not relevant to their work)

Take a moment here to explain what the researcher means when asking about “Well-being” perceptions VS “Mental Health” perceptions

• "How might your work contribute to mental health and wellbeing within refugee communities?" (Counterpoints Member Contribution)

6. Challenges and Opportunities:

• "What challenges do you face as an artist working with refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker narratives?"
• "What opportunities or support would enhance the impact of your work?"
• "Are there specific resources or networks that have been particularly helpful or that you wish were available?"

7. Focus Group Preparation:

• "How do you see the collective voices of artists influencing social change?"
• "What collaborative approaches could strengthen the role of art in refugee support frameworks?"

8. Closing:

• "Is there anything else you would like to add about your work or this research?"
• "Do you have any questions or concerns about participating in this study?"

2b. Semi-structured interview guide, amended

Semi-Structured Interview Guide

1. Introduction:

Objective: Establish rapport and gather basic background information.

• "Can you tell me a little about yourself and your artistic background?"
• "What inspires your artistic/creative work?"

2. Background and Artistic Practice:

Objective: Explore the artist's personal influences and motivations.

• "How does your personal experience influence your art?"
• "How does your art reflect your own experiences or those of 'refugees'/asylum seekers/sanctuary seekers/ displaced individuals?"

3. Refugee Narratives:

Objective: Understand how refugee stories are integrated into their work.

• "How do you incorporate refugee stories and experiences into your creative work?"
• "What messages or themes do you aim to convey through your art?"
• "Can you describe your creative process when working on refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker/displacement-related themes?"

4. Impact of Art:

Objective: Assess the influence of their art on public understanding and engagement.

• "In what ways do you think your art affects public understanding or perceptions of 'refugees'?"
• "What reactions or responses have you seen from audiences regarding your work?"
• "Can you describe any experiences where your work has influenced community engagement or dialogue?"

5. Art and Creative Health Policy:

Objective: Discuss the potential policy impact and health benefits of art.

• "What role do you believe art can play in shaping creative health policies in the UK?"
• "How might your work contribute to mental health and wellbeing within refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker communities?"
• "In your view, how does engaging in art affect the mental health and wellbeing of 'refugees'/asylum seekers/sanctuary seekers?"
• "Can you share any experiences where art has been particularly healing or empowering?"

6. Challenges and Opportunities:

Objective: Identify challenges faced and opportunities for support.

• "What challenges do you face as an artist working with refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker narratives?"
• "What opportunities or support would enhance the impact of your work?"
• "What support or resources would help you and other artists in this field?"

7. Policy and Advocacy:

Objective: Explore the role of art in policy and public discourse.

• "What role do you think art should play in shaping creative health policy in the UK?"
• "Are there ways in which your work has informed or could inform policy or public discussions?"

8. Focus Group Specific (for preparation and broader impact):

Objective: Discuss collective influence and collaboration.

• "How do you see the collective voices of artists influencing social change?"
• "What collaborative approaches could strengthen the role of art in refugee support frameworks?"

Take a moment here to explain what the researcher means when asking about “Well-being” perceptions VS “Mental Health” perceptions

• "How might your work contribute to mental health and wellbeing within refugee communities?" (Counterpoints Member Contribution)

9. Closing:

Objective: Wrap up the interview and address any remaining questions.

• "Is there anything else you would like to add about your work or this research?"
• "Do you have any questions or concerns about participating in this study?"

2c. Focus group guide

Focus group guide (the below is copy-pasted from the amended topic guide, with corrected terminology) Detailed Topic Guide for Focus Group with Artists/Creators and Creative Facilitators (Online) - (DRAFT) Purpose: To facilitate a group discussion among artists/creatives to explore collective insights on the role of art/creative work in refugee narratives and its impact on public perceptions and policies.

1. Welcome and Introductions:

• Briefly introduce participants and outline the purpose and structure of the session.
• "Let's start with a quick round of introductions. Can each of you tell us a bit about your background and artistic focus?"

2. Shared Experiences and Artistic Practice:

• "How do each of you approach your work with refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker themes?"
• "What common themes or differences have you noticed in your artistic narratives?"
• "How does your personal experience influence your art, and how is this reflected in your work?"

3. Collective Impact and Public Perception:

• "In what ways do you think your combined work influences broader public understanding of 'refugees'/asylum seekers/sanctuary seekers and migration?"
• "Can you share examples where your art has acted as a catalyst for social change in refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker/communities with experience of displacement?"

4. Art and Mental Health:

• "Discuss examples where art has supported mental health or community resilience within refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker communities or those who’ve experienced displacement."
• "What potential do you see for integrating art into refugee support frameworks, particularly in terms of mental health and wellbeing?"

Take a moment here to explain what the researcher means when asking about “Well-being” perceptions VS “Mental Health” perceptions

• "How might your work contribute to mental health and wellbeing within refugee communities?" (Counterpoints Member Contribution)

5. Creative Health Policy:

• "What messages would you want policymakers to hear about the role of art in shaping creative health policies?"
• "What practical actions or policies would you recommend enhancing the impact of art in supporting refugee communities?"

6. Collaboration and Networks:

• "How can artists in this space better support each other?"
• "Are there opportunities for collaboration or shared advocacy that could amplify your impact?"

7. Challenges and Opportunities:

• "What challenges do you face as artists working with refugee narratives?"
• "What opportunities or support would enhance the impact of your work?" - (May move this to the end)
• "How can collective efforts help overcome these challenges?"

8. Final Thoughts:

• "What hopes do you have for the future of arts and refugee/asylum seeker/sanctuary seeker narratives?"
• "Do you have any additional comments or questions?"

Note: These guides are designed to facilitate in-depth and meaningful discussions, both individually and collectively, about the role of art in shaping refugee narratives and influencing public perception, wellbeing, and policy.

3. Mentimeter outputs

Both focus groups used anonymous Mentimeter polling alongside discussion. The full poll screens are held with the study data. What follows is what the polls returned.

Question: how does your combined work influence broader public understanding of refugees and migration?

The finding that matters is the last row. Across both groups, not one facilitator selected any option implying their work has no effect on public understanding. They understand what they do as narrative intervention, not cultural decoration.

Question: rate the impact of art on mental health and community resilience within refugee communities

Facilitators in both groups gave average ratings among the two highest points on the scale.

The discussion that followed qualified it in two ways, and both qualifications came from the participants rather than from the researcher:

• Art works best alongside other forms of support, not instead of them
• Introduced too early, it can surface difficult emotions before a person is ready to hold them

That second point is a caution from practitioners about their own medium, and it is one of the more useful things in the dataset.

4. Holding Space: the reported survey figures

The full survey data tables are held with the evaluation. These are the figures reported in it.

Who was in the room. London drew museum professionals, artists, mental health clinicians, academics and sanctuary seekers. The April webinar drew people from NHS trusts, arts organisations, universities and grassroots refugee groups. Belfast drew festival organisers, community volunteers, local government and youth workers. Bradford was the national gathering, and provided live captioning and British Sign Language interpretation.

Still to be published

Four things on the original list are not here, because they are documents or images rather than text that can be reconstructed:

• The UCL ethics approvals and amendment documentation. Held as signed correspondence and scanned forms.
• The Mentimeter poll screens themselves. The results are summarised above; the visual outputs are image files.
• Event agendas and speaker lists for Belfast, Bradford and London.
• Visual records: the live illustration from Bradford in high resolution, and photographs of the flip-chart notes with their transcriptions.

Plus the two published documents, the Mental Health Framework and the Protocol of Care, which have their own page.

If you would like any of these, please ask and we will send them to you directly.

This material describes research with real people. All participants are pseudonymised and all quotes are published with consent under UCL ethics approval. Please cite with care.