When change is the only constant: the role of art making in mental health recovery

Submission note: A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Public Health and Human Biosciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora.

Art-based practices have attracted interest as a potentially therapeutic resource because they are in line with the whole person framework currently being adopted by Australian mental health services, as well as have high acceptability with consumers. Nevertheless, incorporation of art-based approaches into mental health services has been limited by claims of an insufficient evidence-base. This thesis involved gaining a deeper understanding of the roles of art making in mental health recovery among consumers of two psychosocial rehabilitation services in Victoria, Australia. Specifically, this study explored changes over one year in the lives of twelve participants who attended a variety of art-based programs. To gain a multifaceted perspective of this area of inquiry a mixed-methods approach was used incorporating pragmatism, empathetic phenomenology and co-operative inquiry as well as case study and art-based approaches. Importantly, establishing rapport and developing trust with the participants became integral to the values of the study. Collaboration with the participants where possible became a key to ensuring I was authentically reflecting their experiences and aligning myself with the recovery values. By intersubjectively responding to the experiences captured in the study I was also able to create knowledge more closely attuned with the participants. An analysis of the findings resulted in the identification of a number of key areas including that art making enabled the re-establishment of a psychosocial sense of self, provided a vessel by which personal meanings could be made, acted as a coping mechanism, encouraged interdependency, and assisted the development of multiple forms of identification beyond having a mental illness. Future strategies within mental health services could further integrate these aspects of art making into their practices, which would help to enhance the discovery of meaning, purpose and hope during the recovery process.