“We’re All in the Same Boat” – The Experience of People With Mental Health Conditions and Non-clinical Community Members in Integrated Arts-Based Groups

Aya Nitzan,Hod Orkibi

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661831

Abstract

In recent decades there has been a significant increase in community rehabilitation programs for people with mental health conditions. One such nationwide programs is Amitim in Israel whose mission is to foster the psychosocial rehabilitation of people with mental health conditions in the community. Amitim’s flagship program consists of arts-based groups that integrate participants with mental health conditions and non-clinical community members. To better understand the experiences of participants in these arts-based groups, five focus groups were conducted with participants from 15 integrated arts-based groups. In total, 17 people with mental health conditions and 21 non-clinical community members were interviewed for this qualitative study. Three main themes emerged from the thematic analysis: creation and expression through the arts promote well-being, self-disclosure in a safe space encourages a sense of belonging, and “we are all in the same boat.” The participants underscored the role of creation and expression through the arts in facilitating emotional expression, self-discovery, interpersonal communication, and spiritual elevation. The findings suggest that the facilitators should instill a sense of equality by enabling intergroup acquaintances without labeling participants’ mental health status. Integrated arts-based groups should be accompanied by a mental health professional who can contain and work through complex emotional situations when needed. Arts therapists who specialize in both arts and mental health are particularly suitable for this role. Overall, the interviewees reported that participation in the integrated arts-based groups positively impacted their personal recovery processes by providing a corrective experience of equality as well as enhancing a sense of belonging to the community and social relationships. The participants also reported being empowered by the final artistic event that not only enhanced their sense of visibility, competence, and aspirations for future development in personal, interpersonal, and artistic realms, but also helped to combat both self- and public stigma.

Highlights

Stigma and discrimination are the two main challenges faced by people with mental health conditions (MHCs) (United Nations, 2017), and constitute their most significant barriers to recovery (Oexle et al, 2018; Wood and Alsawy, 2018)
The participants with MHCs reported they did not experience any manifestations of prejudice, consistent with findings showing that contact is the most effective strategy for reducing public stigma in adults (Corrigan et al, 2012; Ahuja et al, 2017)
The findings suggest that according to the interviewees participating in integrated arts-based groups had a positive impact on their personal recovery processes in a variety of ways including a sense of belonging to the community, motivation, and aspirations for future development in personal, interpersonal, and artistic realms, introspection, increased self-esteem and selfefficacy, and a greater sense of meaning and empowerment

Summary

Introduction

Stigma and discrimination are the two main challenges faced by people with mental health conditions (MHCs) (United Nations, 2017), and constitute their most significant barriers to recovery (Oexle et al, 2018; Wood and Alsawy, 2018). Public stigma is characterized by negative attitudes toward people with MHCs, including stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination (Corrigan, 2000), and may lead to low willingness to engage in social, occupational, familial, or intimate relationships with people with MHCs (Corrigan et al, 2003). Interventions aimed at reducing self-stigma may increase one’s sense of meaning and promote personal recovery (Ehrlich-Ben Or et al, 2013; Oexle et al, 2018) Consistent with this view, increasing numbers of rehabilitations programs have been designed to integrate people with MHCs into the community. There is evidence that a contact strategy that advocates direct intergroup interaction between diverse populations for changing attitudes (Allport, 1954) is the most effective strategy for reducing mental health public stigma (Corrigan et al, 2012; Ahuja et al, 2017)

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Conclusion