This document discusses the use of creativity to aid recovery from mental illness. It provides a brief history of how creativity has been used in occupational therapy and discusses how its use declined but is being recognized again. It defines creativity and recovery, noting recovery is a personal process of overcoming the negative impacts of mental illness. Evidence suggests the creative process and products can help challenge depression and improve functioning by providing a sense of autonomy, pride, and social interaction. Reflection on engaging in creative activities can provide evidence for personal development plans.

1. Creativity and its Aid to
Recovery
Jackson Pollock
Rachel Booth and Faye Singh

2. 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

3. Little bit of History
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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

4. Creative Task
• Felt Purse’s
• Evidence Based Plan

5. What is
Creativity?

6. 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

7. What do we
understand by
Recovery?

8. Recovery Concepts
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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’.
Damien Hurst Pharmacy
Personal Recovery - is
different - it is an idea that
comes from people with lived
experience of mental illness.
www.rethink.org
Picasso weeping woman

9. 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

10. 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]

11. So why use Creativity to aid
Recovery
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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, decisionmaking, 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), 107114.)
Vincent van Gogh's painting,"
On the Threshold of Eternity

12. 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

13. Reflection
• Please complete a
reflection on this
session.
• Use it as Evidence in
PDP
Mark Rothko Untitled. 1968

14. Further Reading
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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)
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Griffiths, S. (2008) The experience of creative activity as a treatment medium. Journal
of Mental Health, 17(1): 49-63
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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]
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Reberio Gruhl K (2005) Reflections on…the recovery paradigm;Should occupational
therapists be interested? CJOT, 72(2), 96-102
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Lloyd et al (2007) The association between leisure motivation and recovery;A pilot
study. AJOT, 54, 33-41.
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Lloyd et al (2008) Conceptualising recovery in mental health rehabilitation. BJOT,
71(8), 321-328.

15. References
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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/OutlineRecoveryModelInAction.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
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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
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