Mental Illness as a Valued Identity: How a Leisure Initiative Promoting Connection and Understanding Sets the Stage for Inclusion

Abstract

Living with mental illness often subjects individuals to stigma and exclusion. While leisure plays an important role in supporting inclusion and mental health recovery, we know little about leisure initiatives designed explicitly to promote inclusion by countering stigma and exclusion. This study examined participant experiences in a leisure-based initiative known as a living library. This initiative provides opportunities for individuals living with mental illness to become living books and talk openly about their experiences of illness and recovery. Findings highlight participants’ initial feelings of fear and uncertainty around sharing their stories, their perceptions of the living library as an effective method of education, and their newfound willingness to embrace identities as individuals living with mental illness who are proud of their lived experiences. These findings advance our thinking about storytelling as a powerful tool for recovery and suggest leisure initiatives supporting connection and understanding set the stage for inclusion.