Perceived Impact of the Theatrical Intervention És Bo Xerrar de Ment on Mental Health: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study Among Audience Members
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5538/2385-703X.2026.31.5Keywords:
Mental Health, Health Education, Health Promotion, Medicine in the Arts, Drama, Community Health NursingAbstract
Introduction: Evidence on theatre and mental health has focused primarily on interventions involving active participation, whereas the audience experience has been scarcely explored as a resource for raising awareness and promoting community mental health.
Objectives: To assess the perceptions of audience members attending the play És Bo Xerrar de Ment regarding its perceived usefulness for addressing mental health issues, its ability to foster emotional identification, the clarity of its message, and the perceived effectiveness of theatre as an awareness-raising tool.
Materials and methods: A pilot observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study with a mixed-methods approach was conducted using an ad hoc, self-administered post-performance questionnaire. A total of 250 audience members participated and rated the play’s usefulness, emotional identification, perceived effectiveness of theatre, and message clarity using a Likert scale. In addition, 222 brief open-ended responses were qualitatively analysed through descriptive semantic categorisation. Descriptive analyses and non-parametric comparisons according to professional sector were performed.
Results: Ratings were high, with agreement rates above 90% for usefulness, message clarity, and perceived effectiveness. Exploratory analyses by professional sector identified differences in emotional identification and perceived effectiveness, with higher scores among healthcare professionals. In the qualitative analysis, the predominant category was “theatrical effectiveness” (64.0%), followed by “learning/education” (14.4%), “values/attitudes” (14.0%), and “emotion/impact” (7.7%).
Conclusions: The play És Bo Xerrar de Ment was favourably rated by audience members and showed potential as an educational and community-based resource for raising mental health awareness. Pre–post and longitudinal studies are required to assess its sustained impact.
Keywords: Mental Health, Health Education, Health Promotion, Medicine in the Arts, Drama, Community Health Nursing.
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