Arts on Prescription

Art can provide a therapeutic environment for mental health patients according to a leading academic who will present his research at an Edge Hill University event.

Dr Theodore Stickley, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, will be at the Ormskirk campus on Thursday 8^th March for the last in a series of guest lectures on the theme of ‘mental health'.

In his talk Mental Health and the Arts: Arts on Prescription, he will focus on the findings of his study on the non-drug based alternative intervention for people experiencing mild to moderate depression and anxiety. Clients are offered a series of arts workshops with expert tuition from practising artists, as well as mental health support from therapists or counsellors.

Dr Stickley will discuss the outcome of his investigations which outline the experiences of people who have engaged with the programme as a way of using the Arts to promote mental well-being.

He said: "People experience Arts on Prescription as a creative and therapeutic environment. It is considered a safe place, where people can be creative with others who have shared similar experiences. The social, psychological and occupational benefits are not easily separated, but by feeling accepted and amongst people with similar experiences, individuals gain a sense of social belonging. A number of participants have also found new opportunities for the future. In conclusion community-based arts groups that are professionally facilitated may provide a therapeutic environment for participants."

Having trained as a mental health nurse and a counsellor, Dr Stickley studied mental health social inclusion and community arts for his PhD. He continues to specialise in arts and health research. He is also a non-executive director for City Arts (Nottingham) Ltd and leads on the innovative Art in Mind programme, promoting mental health through community arts. In 2008 he led on the development and delivery of Open to All, a training project for museums and galleries for the National Social Inclusion Programme. Dr Stickley has writtenmore than 80 publications, a number of which relate to the arts and health research.

Mairi Byrne, Head of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Social Care at Edge Hill University, said: "This is the last in what has been a very thought-provoking and inspiring series of guest lectures on mental health issues.  All of our guest speakers have done a brilliant job to present some of the issues currently challenging health and social care providers within the current political and economic climate. Dr Stickley's research around Arts on Prescription is very interesting and I'm sure health and social care providers, service users, carers and students will find it very useful."

To book your free place, go to: surveys.edgehill.ac.uk/mhlecturereg or telephone 01695 650715. Registration is 6pm and the lecture starts at 6.30pm with refreshments afterwards.