Title: Digital Art as a Tool for Mental Well-being: Findings from the ArtEater Pilot in Eldorado Park, South Africa
1
Income4gogos, goGOGOgo, Kensington, South Africa
2
goGOGOgo, Kensington, South Africa
3
1 Teaching and Research Unit Art Education, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
4
2 Teaching and Research Unit Art Education, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2584
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Older caregivers in South Africa, particularly grandmothers raising children, often experience social isolation, limited access to creative outlets and digital exclusion, contributing to chronic stress and reduced psychosocial well-being. Arts-based interventions have demonstrated potential to support emotional regulation and mental health. ArtEater is a low-threshold web-based drawing tool developed by the Institute of Art Education at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany (project manager: Prof. Dr. Anja Mohr), designed to provide a practical introduction to media literacy and co-developed with participants. ArtEater in South Africa was piloted in Eldorado Park as part of iGOGO, a digital literacy programme for older adults run by NGO goGOGOgo.
METHODS:
Following 20 sessions of digital literacy training through iGOGO, a structured five-phase pilot was held in Eldorado Park, comprising facilitated sessions that included a guided introduction to the ArtEater application, exploratory engagement with digital art tools, sensory-led creative reflection and relaxation and structured feedback collection. Within this mixed-methods study, qualitative data was collected through observation, emotional responses and creative artefacts, and quantitative data through questionnaires.
RESULTS:
Participants described the sessions as enjoyable and emotionally meaningful. Findings suggest that low-pressure digital artmaking may contribute to psychosocial well-being among older adults by enabling self-expression and emotional engagement, particularly in contexts of caregiving responsibility and social isolation. The availability of preset digital tools enhanced participants’ confidence and willingness to experiment creatively.
CONCLUSIONS:
The ArtEater Eldorado Park pilot demonstrates the potential of inclusive digital art interventions to support mental well-being and build digital confidence among older adults. Findings highlight the importance of accessible and inclusive design, guided facilitation and feedback-informed development. As participation in social life increasingly depends on digital literacy, such creative interventions offer a promising approach to advancing equity, inclusion and community-based mental health promotion for older adults in under-resourced settings.
Older caregivers in South Africa, particularly grandmothers raising children, often experience social isolation, limited access to creative outlets and digital exclusion, contributing to chronic stress and reduced psychosocial well-being. Arts-based interventions have demonstrated potential to support emotional regulation and mental health. ArtEater is a low-threshold web-based drawing tool developed by the Institute of Art Education at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany (project manager: Prof. Dr. Anja Mohr), designed to provide a practical introduction to media literacy and co-developed with participants. ArtEater in South Africa was piloted in Eldorado Park as part of iGOGO, a digital literacy programme for older adults run by NGO goGOGOgo.
METHODS:
Following 20 sessions of digital literacy training through iGOGO, a structured five-phase pilot was held in Eldorado Park, comprising facilitated sessions that included a guided introduction to the ArtEater application, exploratory engagement with digital art tools, sensory-led creative reflection and relaxation and structured feedback collection. Within this mixed-methods study, qualitative data was collected through observation, emotional responses and creative artefacts, and quantitative data through questionnaires.
RESULTS:
Participants described the sessions as enjoyable and emotionally meaningful. Findings suggest that low-pressure digital artmaking may contribute to psychosocial well-being among older adults by enabling self-expression and emotional engagement, particularly in contexts of caregiving responsibility and social isolation. The availability of preset digital tools enhanced participants’ confidence and willingness to experiment creatively.
CONCLUSIONS:
The ArtEater Eldorado Park pilot demonstrates the potential of inclusive digital art interventions to support mental well-being and build digital confidence among older adults. Findings highlight the importance of accessible and inclusive design, guided facilitation and feedback-informed development. As participation in social life increasingly depends on digital literacy, such creative interventions offer a promising approach to advancing equity, inclusion and community-based mental health promotion for older adults in under-resourced settings.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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