Plant Fetish: A Creative Challenge to Mental Health Stigma

Salma Qasim,Chanje Kunda,Roxanne Khan,John Peter Wainwright,Mick Mckeown

doi:10.3390/genealogy4020040

Abstract

People of BAMME (Black, Asian, Minority, and Migrant ethnic) heritage in the UK experience various anomalies when engaging with mental health services. Typically concentrated at secondary and secure levels of care, these discrepant experiences interact with a reticence to uptake mental health support at the primary care level. Official, national anti-stigma campaigns often reproduce messages that do not connect with BAMME communities, raising questions about how best to challenge stigma in this context. This research paper describes a case study of an alternative means to address stigma, drawing from a dramatic comedy performance, Plant Fetish, written and performed by an artist who carries a diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (Complex PTSD). The study comprised of an individual interview with the artist, audience feedback, and a group discussion conducted after the show. Data were subject to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of using creativity to increase public awareness of mental health and inform efforts to reduce stigma. We conclude that such approaches show promise and merit further exploration in a context of growing discursive interest in mental health amidst acknowledged deficiencies of contemporary anti-stigma efforts, especially as they apply to BAMME people, their families, and their communities.

Highlights

This paper discusses a case study of a performance art piece that utilises comedy and biography to engage with the lived experience of mental distress in a context of social relationships
Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of using creativity to increase public awareness of mental health and inform efforts to reduce stigma. We conclude that such approaches show promise and merit further exploration in a context of growing discursive interest in mental health amidst acknowledged deficiencies of contemporary anti-stigma efforts, especially as they apply to BAMME people, their families, and their communities
We contend that such alternative creative approaches to tackling stigma may have more appeal or impact for BAMME communities who are subject to both anomalies in care and treatment received from services and may feel excluded from the reach of mainstream anti-stigma campaigns

Summary

Introduction

This paper discusses a case study of a performance art piece that utilises comedy and biography to engage with the lived experience of mental distress in a context of social relationships. The performance artist had BAMME heritage, as did a majority of the audience, and the dramaturgy engaged with intersections of race and ethnicity with mental health. In this regard, we contend that such alternative creative approaches to tackling stigma may have more appeal or impact for BAMME communities who are subject to both anomalies in care and treatment received from services and may feel excluded from the reach of mainstream anti-stigma campaigns. Experiences of stigma and discrimination among individuals who identify with mental health problems may be slightly decreasing over recent years in the UK, but there is no concomitant increase in social capital (Corker et al 2016)

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