“I now look forward to the future, by finding things from our past...”Exploring the potential of metal detector archaeology as a source of well-being and happiness for British Armed Forces veterans with mental health impairments

50-Year-old male war veteran and survey participant, suffering from PTSD and depression, on the effect of metal detecting

Bibliographic Data

ID21136025
AuthorsAndres S Dobat (0000-0002-4452-6907, Aarhus University), Sultan Oruc Wood (Aarhus University), Bo Søndergaard Jensen (0000-0001-6706-3303, Clinic for PTSD and anxiety, Veteran Unit, Central Denmark Region, Århus N (DK), Denmark), Sören Schmidt (0000-0003-2618-746X, Hochschule Fresenius, University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg (D), Germany), Armin S Dobat (Dipl. Psych., Flensburg (D), Germany, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume26
Issue4
Pages370-386
Publication date2020-04-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Heritage Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1352-7258 • E-ISSN: 1470-3610
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13527258.2019.1639069
OpenAlexW2954098254
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited23

This article presents the results of a questionnaire-based survey of the perceived effects of metal detecting among British Armed Forces veterans with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and/or other diagnosed or undiagnosed psychological disorders. Although the qualitative analysis presented here is only a first step towards understanding its beneficial effects, the authors conclude that archaeological metal detecting can be regarded as having the potential to positively influence well-being and happiness for people suffering from mental health problems. The findings suggest that practitioners feel that metal detecting has a significantly positive and lasting effect on their health and well-being. A significant number of respondents feel that metal detecting has alleviated specific symptoms of their mental disorders (PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders). The key factors for the beneficial effect of metal detecting appear to be of a mental, sensory, physical and social nature. First and foremost, however, its beneficial effect seems to be deeply rooted in the fact that the participants interact with archaeological heritage

Archaeology · Art · Art history · Happiness · Political science · Art Therapy and Mental Health · History · Law · Noise Effects and Management · Urban Green Space and Health