Cultural mediation: Implementation in a child and adolescent psychiatry setting

Context: Art-mediated activities and cultural care have become a component of most hospital institutions for children and adolescents. Yet their funding is not specified. Based on the experience of a university hospital department, we would like to consider measures that might encourage their continuation. Methods: We conducted an observational study and interviews (n = 15) to list all the activities carried out by an external contributor in 2023, their themes, the target audience, their objectives, the nature of the contributors, the existence of a formalized agreement, funding, as well as their frequency and duration. Results: Thirty-five different partners carried out 685 actions in 2023, 10% of which were carried out outside the hospital. The themes addressed are extremely varied (sports, performing arts, literature, visual arts, etc.). These activities represent an average of 210 interventions per unit, or 4 per week. However, they are less numerous in the intensive care unit and units for autistic patients with challenging behaviors, and virtually absent from outpatient units. Finally, specific funding or agreements are often absent. Discussion: Despite their frequency and the substantial investment made by the team and its partners, there are a number of weaknesses. We are developing the idea that the creation of a cultural policy co-constructed between a cultural and sponsorship department and the clinical components (in our case, child psychiatry) would make it possible to resolve some of these weaknesses and promote a better inclusion in patient care.