Abstract
Some research acknowledges engagement in creative and literary activities as constructively impacting rehabilitation and recovery. Nevertheless, there is a deficit of literature describing experiences of participation in literary activities. This study examined how members of a non-profit association for mental health, with experiences of mental problems or illnesses, experienced group-based literary activities facilitated of a bi-disciplinary research team during one semester. This study held a constructive/naturalistic design and used a qualitative methodology with a latent analysis to describe how participants experienced literary activities (creative writing, reading and conversations about published and own written poetry and prose texts). Both individual and focus-group interviews were performed early 2014. Despite previous negative experiences, the findings showed that the participants perceived the literary activities empowering. Four categories were created: Presumptions of personal literacy, leadership role, participants’ role, and literacy development. These were abstracted and interpreted into three themes: Identifying a reading and writing self-image, challenging and redefining one’s reading and writing identity, and strengthening one’s intellectual and humanistic capacity. Literary activities seemed to positively change the participants’ attitudes towards writing and reading, and also enhanced their literacy skills. We argue that literacy skills are interconnected with health literacy. Involvement of literary activities into rehabilitation in mental health practice may be beneficial for some groups, and merits further studies.
Highlights
Given the huge burden of mental health problems, there is a need to widen and re-think the concepts of treatment and recovery
This study examined how members of a non-profit association for mental health, with experiences of mental problems or illnesses, experienced group-based literary activities facilitated of a bi-disciplinary research team during one semester
Individuals affected by severe mental illness in mental health care settings experienced that creative writing constituted an important part of the recovery [7]
Summary
Given the huge burden of mental health problems, there is a need to widen and re-think the concepts of treatment and recovery. The focus of this paper is the bi-disciplinary area of nursing science in combination with the field of comparative literature It pilots the content and form of a literary activity intervention targeting promotion of well-being among people with experiences of mental health problems. Mental disorders increase the risk of co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and vice-versa [1] [2] [3], and because these conditions are often accompanied by stigmatization and poverty, it leads to human suffering and enormous challenges globally These challenges should be addressed with a wide range of actions and interventions both in the societal/public/community and on the individual/family level.
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