Lay summary
Anxiety and depression are common after a stroke, especially for people with stroke-related communication changes. Despite this, there is very little evidence about how to manage or prevent these mental health issues. What’s more, most of the research studies excluded people with stroke-related communication changes. Mindart is a new 8-week group programme developed here in Aotearoa New Zealand. It uses drawing and art-making to help people relax, including using special digital applications. This project will help build valuable relationships and ensure that Mindart is appropriate for people with stroke-related communication changes. We will try out Mindart with a group of people affected by stroke to see whether Mindart is feasible, appropriate, meaningful, and helpful. This small project provides the foundation for a larger project to see whether Mindart helps the mental well-being of stroke survivors and can help meet an urgent need for person-centred, evidence-based community support.