Dr Simon-Peter Telford1,2,3
1SA Health SALHN – Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Australia, 2Australasian Association of Writing Programs, Melbourne, Australia, 3Creative People, Products and Places Research Centre, Adelaide, Australia
Biography:
Simon-Peter is a Creative Writing Arts Facilitator with Arts in Health at SALHN, working primarily out of Flinders Medical Centre. He is also a Research Assistant with Flinders University. His research interests are Arts in Health, particularly Creative Writing benefits for healthcare consumers, along with existentialist fiction and environmental writing. He is a published author awaiting his PhD conferral with University of South Australia.
Abstract:
Arts in Health is an area of care that is gaining momentum across the world.
While research shows that creative writing can be beneficial for patients managing mental health conditions, further research is needed to continue building towards a comprehensive model of care.
This presentation communicates the insights attained though the development and delivery of a weekly Creative Writing Group trial held over a three-month period within a tertiary hospital setting acute mental health unit.
The Margaret Tobin Centre (MTC) at Flinders Medical Centre is a 38-bed mental health inpatient area comprised of a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit and two Acute Care Units.
The SALHN Arts in Health Team and MTC Occupational Therapists collaboratively developed and delivered the trial, informed by the CHIME model of mental health recovery.
Participating patient evaluations of each session were used to collect data. These evaluations measured general mood, social connectedness, and creative expression. Patients consistently reported improvement to mood, connecting with others and an opportunity to creatively express themselves. This included a substantial increase in general mood, high scores for social interaction and expression of thoughts and feelings.
This trial showed promising results for Creative Writing Groups within inpatient acute mental health settings where a Creative Writing Professional works with an Occupational Therapist to run sessions.
It is recommended that Creative Writing Groups are considered as a valid modality towards mental health recovery for inpatients. Further research into the value and impact of creative writing is recommended.