Recovery and creative practices in people with severe mental illness: evaluating well-being and social inclusion

Abstract

Purpose: This mixed (quantitative–qualitative) study evaluates the impact of an artistic workshop on a group of people with severe mental illness (SMI). This study focuses on the impact of creative practices on well-being and social inclusion outcomes.

Method: After participating in a creative workshop, 31 people diagnosed with a SMI completed pre/post-intervention measures, namely, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale and the Social Inclusion questionnaire. It was applied in two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. The statistic Wilcoxon and Kruskal–Wallis were applied for non-parametric data to measure pre/post-test effects and workshop experience effects, respectively. In addition to quantitative measures, one observer participated in each workshop that ran in parallel in order to deepen and triangulate quantitative outcomes.

Results: The qualitative and quantitative results show that social inclusion improved in a significant way with an important size effect. Psychological wellbeing increased significantly with a low size effect.

Conclusions: In accordance with these results, creative practices with people diagnosed with SMI are recommended. In order to increase the impact of these interventions, it is recommended to utilize public space away from clinical environments and to include people without SMI in creative activities together with SMI patients.

Implications for Rehabilitation:

• Creative practices can significantly improve social inclusions and well-being in people with severe mental illness.

• Participating in creative workshops helps to elaborate personal meanings and promote recovery.

• Creative practices in mental health services can challenge professional roles and institutional practices.

• Participation of people with and without severe mental illness engaged together in artistic activities can decrease public stigma.

Keywords:

• Recovery
• creative practices
• severe mental illness
• well-being
• social inclusion

Acknowledgements

This study is part of the project: “Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery: Connecting Communities for Mental Health and Well-being” (AHRC grant ref. AH/K003364/1). We would like to thank to Contemporary Art Center of Andalusia, Andalusian Foundation for the Social Integration of People with Mental Health Disorders, Andalusian Public Health Service and all professionals who collaborated with us.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study is part of the project: “Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery: Connecting Communities for Mental Health and Well-being” (AHRC grant ref. AH/K003364/1). We would like to thank to Contemporary Art Center of Andalusia, Andalusian Foundation for the Social Integration of People with Mental Health Disorders, Andalusian Public Health Service and all professionals who collaborated with us.