An innovative study led by The University of Nottingham is to investigate whether arts and humanities can help improve the mental health and well-being of patients and carers alike.
The five-year project will examine the role that music, storytelling, photography, sculpture and other activities might play in assisting mental health service users and those who look after them.
The five-year project will examine the role that music, storytelling, photography, sculpture and other activities might play in assisting mental health service users and those who look after them.
The initiative builds on the work of Nottingham Health Humanities and its International Health Humanities Network and will centre on the concept of 'mutual recovery' - promoting social, cultural and emotional connectivity between patients, professionals and informal carers to gain mental health benefits for all parties involved in health, social or adult education delivery.
The study comes as part of a quiet revolution to challenge the overreliance of pharmaceutical and psychotherapy solutions which critics argue have not delivered the step-change needed to support mental health patients.
Professor Paul Crawford, who is leading the research and holds the world's first chair in health humanities, said: "The target-driven, production line culture of our healthcare system has done tremendous damage and we are seeing management by remote control, where managers often don't have a clue what's happening as demonstrated by the recent scandalous situation at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.
"This system is making it increasingly difficult for practitioners to be compassionate because they are under intense pressure to perform and many are suffering from burnout and struggling with their own mental health. When considering the attributes that modern-day healthcare is frequently accused of lacking, it is all too easy to overlook one of the most precious of all: humanity." Click here to read more.
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