Art and Recovery in Mental Health: A Qualitative Investigation

Abstract

Arts programmes are provided as part of the psychosocial rehabilitation for consumers with a mental illness. Consumers have reported that involvement in the arts has facilitated their recovery. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the ways in which involvement in an Australian community arts programme contributed to the recovery process. It also aimed to gain an understanding of intrinsic recovery, which focuses on personal satisfaction and meaning. Eight consumers with a mental illness who were members of a community-based arts programme participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. The themes that were analysed thematically from the interviews included art as a medium of expression and self-discovery, and changes in internal conditions (spirituality, empowerment and self-validation). The findings revealed the usefulness of arts programmes in providing the external environment that facilitates internal recovery.

Using Museum Objects to Improve Wellbeing in Mental Health Service Users and Neurological Rehabilitation Clients

“…Griffiths highlighted the value in restoring the balance between work and leisure via creative activity but with many of the clients in our study being institutionalised on a long-term basis, value was derived from providing relaxing, engaging activities as alternatives to passive observation of a television screen, for instance. Lloyd et al (2007) discovered that clients were able to regulate their extent of expressed emotion through art, and could subsequently apply this sense of control to other aspects of their lives. Likewise, our study found decreased negative emotion as a result of object handling.…”

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“…Other research has been more broadly concerned with a range of creative activities including: painting, drawing, collage, card making, textiles, needlecraft, pottery and woodwork (Griffith, 2008;Lloyd, Wong, & Petchkovsky, 2007;Schmid, 2004). Griffith (2008) suggested that creative activities facilitate occupational gains, which can be grouped into manual skills, specific to the activity (sewing, drawing, etc.)…”

“…For many people art is also a preferred way of expressing thoughts and emotions (Perruzza & Kinsella, 2010). Art can enable people to regulate and control what and how much they choose to 5 communicate, resulting in a sense of empowerment and independence (Lloyd et al, 2007).…”

“…Additionally, creative activities can provide structure for chaotic feelings and thoughts (Hilse et al, 2007) and allow for the articulation of future hopes and dreams (Lloyd et al, 2007). A positive outlook on the future can also be fostered through the potential of creative activities to build a sense of purpose (Griffith, 2008), aiding the realization of one's potential (Schmid, 2004).…”

“…Frank's journey highlighted creative activity can restore the balance between work and leisure (Griffith, 2008), with the intervention leading to productive roles within the secure service. The intervention provided Frank with aspirations and instilled hope for his future, reflecting the aims of occupational therapy within a recovery approach (College of Occupational Therapists, 2006) and the power of creative activity interventions to foster a sense of purpose (Lloyd et al, 2007).…”