Books, Articles and Research

Promoting mental well-being and social inclusion through art: Evaluation of an arts and mental health project
Researchers in this study review the benefits reported by consumers following their participation in introductory art courses offered by an arts and mental well-being project. Questionnaires used at the start and end of courses showed that participants recognized improvements in well-being and social inclusion.

Firewalkers: Madness, Beauty & Mystery
VOCAL Virginia used grant funding from SAMHSA's Campaign for Mental Health Recovery to produce a living anthology of stories of people who have experienced the turbulence of a mental health crisis. A guide to radically rethinking mental health, Firewalkers redefines mental illness as "a journey of emotional turbulence, crazy blessings, ecstatic visions, and mad gifts."

Creating change: Using the arts to help stop the stigma of mental Illness and foster social integration
In this article the author hopes to create a passion for change and suggest a way that everyone can help stop stigma. However, research is needed; a design for a study to test this hypothesis is described.

Challenging stigma around mental illness and promoting social inclusion using the performing arts
This article outlines the rationale, evidence base, method and qualitative evaluation of a project that uses the performing arts to challenge the stigma surrounding mental illness and promote social inclusion of people with mental health problems.

The arts of healing
The relationship between artistic involvement and individual mental health is considered, and the concept of "healing" is differentiated from that of "therapy." Seven properties of art experience are identified which, when developed, have contributed to patients' recovery from mental illness. Implications of these properties for clinical programs, and the related value of art experience for non-patients, are discussed.

Art therapy: Using the creative process for healing and hope among African American older adults
This article provides an introduction to the field of art therapy and the potential it can offer to address the emotional needs of the frail elderly. Two case studies are discussed, and examples of artwork are provided.

Artistic expression in spontaneous paintings of depressed patients
This article explores creativity among people suffering from depression. A false belief exists that depressed patients are not creative. On the contrary, they have an urge to create--the creative spells are equivalent to the depression. They express themselves more easily through painting than through speech. They express their repressed feelings and ideas of sin and affect, suicidal tendency, etc., and in some cases, the spontaneous paintings have prophetic meaning. It is much easier for them to express their feelings through universal signs and symbols such as: face, posture; church, tower, bell, cross; coffin, tomb, cemetery, grave; skeleton, skull, bones; tree, mountain, boat, chair.

The effect of healing gardens and art therapy on older adults with mild to moderate depression.
This study evaluated the effect of garden walks alone, garden walks with guided imagery, and art therapy on mild to moderate depression in older adults. Focus group interviews at the end of the 6-week intervention suggest that all 3 interventions were helpful to participants with mild to moderate depression.

Art therapy: A unique alternative for healing.
This article focuses on three aspects of art therapy. By defining the parameters of the field and outlining its possibilities in treatment, the author discusses the populations who can benefit from art therapy and why. The implications of introducing an art-therapy program to a health care facility are also discussed, as are ways of minimizing problems and promoting support among staff.

Art, dance, and music therapy.
Art, dance, and music therapy are a significant part of complementary medicine in the twenty-first century. These creative arts therapies contribute to all areas of health care and are present in treatments for most psychological and physiological illnesses. Although the current body of solid research is small compared with that of more traditional medical specialties, the arts therapies are now validating their research through more controlled experimental and descriptive studies. The arts therapies also contribute significantly to the humanization and comfort of modern health care institutions by relieving stress, anxiety, and pain of patients and caregivers. Arts therapies will greatly expand their role in the health care practices of this country in the twenty-first century.

The role of music therapy in psychiatry
Music has soothed the souls of human beings for ages. It also has helped people recover from ailments since ancient times. Today, there is a widespread interest in the use of music therapy in treating psychiatric disorders. This article describes the various types of music therapy in use today and also offers insight into how music therapy can be incorporated into the management of psychiatric disorders and as an element of psychotherapy.

Therapeutic music for patients with psychiatric disorders
Many patients with psychiatric disorders struggle with poor skills in coping, communication, socialization, and self-expression that may result in dysfunctional behavioral, cognitive, and emotional responses. Therapeutic music offers a noninvasive approach to strengthen these skills and effect behavior change. At a regional inpatient psychiatric hospital in Colorado, a program of therapeutic music was developed using Rogers' theory of unitary human beings as the theoretical framework. This article describes the approach used to strengthen coping skills in communication, socialization, and self-expression. Suggestions are made for developing a program of music with similar patient populations.

Art therapy for children: How it leads to change
The aim of art therapy is to facilitate positive change through engagement with the therapist and the art materials in a safe environment. This article will explore how art therapy is used to help children with emotional, developmental and behavioral problems. It will show how change occurs during the process of physical involvement with the materials; through the making of a significant art object; through sublimation of feelings into the images; and through communication with the therapist via the art object.

Focused expressive writing as self-help for stress and trauma
In the therapy process, the process of disclosing stressful or traumatic events is often considered essential. Focused expressive writing (FEW) is one method to help people express stressful or traumatic experiences. FEW is related to improvements in health and well-being across a wide array of outcomes and participant characteristics. Because FEW requires limited involvement of other individuals, is relatively low cost, and portable, it has tremendous potential as self-help. In particular, FEW may be an effective means to reach populations unwilling or unable to engage in psychotherapy. A case illustration of FEW is presented. Evidence and future directions for FEW as self-help are reviewed.

Migration, mental illness and Terry Watada's "The Tale of the Mask"
This article provides an extended synopsis and review of the play, "The Tale of the Mask by Terry Watada." The play addresses the topics of multiculturalism in Canada, attitudes toward mental illness, social discrimination and stigma, and Canadian mental health sevices.

Protected space, where art comes calling
An article discussing the work of Dr. Janos Marton, a psychiatrist who has worked at creating a refuge where individuals with mental illness can go and create art as part of the therapeutic process. The article also includes notes on an interview with Dr. Marton.

Spanish schizophrenic poet lauded
An article discussing the work and accomplishments of Spanish poet, Leopoldo Maria Panero, who also suffers from mental illness.