Creativity and its Aid to Recovery

Rachel Booth and Faye SinghJackson Pollock

Damien Hurst ‘I like the way art works, the way it brightens

people lives up… but I was having difficulty convincing the people around me that it was worth believing in. And then I noticed that they were believing in medicine in exactly the same way that I wanted them to believe in art.’

http://www.tate.org.uk/pharmacy

Little bit of History • Creativity has been central to occupations used in occupational therapy

through its history. Wilcox (2002 p489) • The use of occupations, activity and creativity continued to be used as

interventions by occupational therapists in mental health until in the 1970s when there was a move towards therapeutic communities and discussion based interventions.

• Crafts would still be used but were increasingly seen as divisional rather than with a specific therapeutic focus.

• “Interventions which promote well being also play an important part in recovery from mental illness”

• “There is evidence that art can assist recovery from mental illness” • “Social Inclusion and participation are important for recovery and

improving the outcomes for people with mental illness” The Royal College of Psychiatrists Position Statement PS4/2010 p.28

Creative Task

• Felt Purse’s

• Evidence Based Plan

What is Creativity?

Creativity • ‘the ability to make or otherwise bring into

existence something new, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form.’ (www.britannica.com)

Dove of Peace by Pablo Picasso

What do we understand by

Recovery?

Recovery Concepts• Clinical Recovery - is an idea that

comes from mental health professionals.

• To recover in a clinical sense means that you are free of the symptoms of mental illness, you are able to adhere to social norms and are generally ‘getting back to normal’.

Personal Recovery - is different - it is an idea that comes from people with lived experience of mental illness.www.rethink.org

Picasso weeping woman

Damien Hurst Pharmacy

Recovery

• ‘a personal process of overcoming the negative impact of diagnosed mental illness despite its continued presence.’ (NIMHE, 2004)

• “…a deeply personal, unique process of changing one’s attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills, and/or roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life even within the limitations caused by illness. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in one’s life as one grows beyond catastrophic effects of mental illness.”

(WA Anthony 1993) www.rethink.org

Recovery

• Recovery is possible through a combination of supports needed to re establish a major social role and the self-management skills needed to take control of the major decisions affecting one’s life.

• This combination of social supports and self management helps the person regain membership in society and regain the sense of being a whole person.

LSUHSC (2009) Recovery Model in Action: Facilitating Purposeful Occupations in a State Mental Health Facility. http://alliedhealth.lsuhsc.edu/occupationaltherapy/ContinuingEd/Outline-RecoveryModelInAction.pdf [accessed online 28 October 2010]

So why use Creativity to aid Recovery

• Respondents noted therapeutic value in both the process and product of creative activity. Depression could be challenged both via the creative process (that provided a sense of autonomy, decision-making, and creativity) and via the product (which could stimulate pride, evidence of skills and/or self-worth). The experience of relaxation was particularly valued and related to the total absorption of attention by the task.

(Reynolds, F. (2000) Managing depression through needlecraft creative activities: a qualitative study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 27 (2), 107-114.) Vincent van Gogh's painting,"

On the Threshold of Eternity

So why use Creativity to aid Recovery

More than 50% of participants reported that engaging in creative activities had helped their functioning in daily life, indicating that it had assisted them to improve their concentration, focus their minds, structure their day, provide opportunities to socialise and interact with others, promote their creative expression and enhance their self confidence. (Lim, K. Morris, J. Craik, C. (2007) Inpatient's perspectives of occupational therapy in acute mental health. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54, 22-32)

Picasso evokes

Reflection

• Please complete a reflection on this session.

• Use it as Evidence in PDP

Mark Rothko Untitled. 1968

Further Reading • Griffiths, S. Corr, S. (2007) The Use of Creative Activities with People with Mental

Health Problems: a Survey of Occupational Therapists. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70 (3)

• Griffiths, S. (2008) The experience of creative activity as a treatment medium. Journal of Mental Health, 17(1): 49-63

• Care Services Improvement, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Social Care Institute for Excellence (2007) A Common Purpose: Recovery in Future Mental Health Service. www.scie.org.uk [accessed online 28 October 2010]

• Reberio Gruhl K (2005) Reflections on…the recovery paradigm;Should occupational therapists be interested? CJOT, 72(2), 96-102

• Lloyd et al (2007) The association between leisure motivation and recovery;A pilot study. AJOT, 54, 33-41.

• Lloyd et al (2008) Conceptualising recovery in mental health rehabilitation. BJOT, 71(8), 321-328.

References

• Holder V (2001) The Use of Creative Activity in Occupational Therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 64(2)p103- 105

• http://alliedhealth.lsuhsc.edu/occupationaltherapy/ContinuingEd/Outline-RecoveryModelInAction.pdf [accessed online 28 October 2010]

• Lim, K. Morris, J. Craik, C. (2007) Inpatient's perspectives of occupational therapy in acute mental health. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54, 22-32

• Lloyd C, Papas V (1999) Art as Therapy within occupational therapy in mental health setting: A review of the literature. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 62(1)

• LSUHSC (2009) Recovery Model in Action: Facilitating Purposeful Occupations in a State Mental Health Facility.

• NHS. (2004) Emerging Best Practices in Mental Health Recovery. National Institute for Mental Health in England

• Reynolds, F. (2000) Managing depression through needlecraft creative activities: a qualitative study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 27 (2), 107-114.)

• Schmid T, (2004) Meanings of Creativity within occupational therapy practice. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 51, p80-88

• The Royal College of Psychiatrists Position Statement PS4/2010 p.28

• Oxford Dictionary 3rd Ed. 1998• www.britannica.com accessed 23/10/10• www.rethink.org accessed 23/10/10 • http://www.tate.org.uk/pharmacy/ accessed 28/10/2010