Leisure activities

Abstract

Using the theoretical framework of a semiotics approach to art production and perception, this chapter focuses on art as a type of leisure activity whose dialogical mechanisms make it a powerful tool in counteracting stigma, including self-stigmatization. Creative works by patients provide a key source of information in the diagnostic process. Furthermore, working with patient art aids the clinician in gaining a better understanding of the preserved aspects of a patient’s personality and establishes a stronger therapeutic alliance. At the community level, outsider art is a powerful tool in anti-stigma campaigns. Many medical schools are now incorporating the arts and humanities in holistically conceived medical curricula to enhance cultural competence and effective communication skills. Connecting spectators to meaning just as it connects the artists to collectivity, art fosters cooperative communication in which the dignity and individuality of a mental health patient may be reaffirmed.