Creativity: A pathway to positive mental health & wellbeing
Follow the creative path to wellbeing

The incidence of mental ill-health seems to be increasing at an alarming rate across all sections of society. Traditional mental health services are struggling to cope with ever growing waiting lists becoming the norm. Service provision needs a major re-think for it to meeting this growing challenge more effectively.
The Mental Health Continuum
Negative <-----------------------> Positive
Mental ill-health Languishing Flourishing
When we think about mental health, it is helpful to consider it as a continuum stretching from negative to positive that we all move along in different ways at different times throughout our lifespan, depending on circumstances. It is important to note that the absence of mental ill-health does not equal positive mental health and this means that many individuals may hover around the middle of the continuum, in the minimally robust state of languishing – neither noticeably ill nor well. When viewed from this perspective, the need for a more progressive, holistic mental health service strategy is indicated, one that seeks to strengthen awareness and initiate practices to enhance positive mental health and flourishing, as well as treating illness. This approach would echo current physical health service provision and strategy. Modern physical health provision typically has a dual focus: on preventative services, as well as the treatment of ill health. This preventative approach seeks to empower individuals to maintain good physical health through understanding the importance of diet, exercise, smoking cessation, alcohol moderation, etc. and living a healthy lifestyle.
What then, would a parallel approach to mental health provision look like, if it sought to step up a preventative provision strategy to empower individuals to maintain positive mental health? First, it would need a clear message about what is meant by ‘positive mental health’ or flourishing. Second, it would seek to empower individuals to maintain positive mental health through understanding the importance of key factors that contribute, such as healthy lifestyle choices; the frequency of experiencing positive emotions; quality of relationships; engagement; meaning and purpose; sense of accomplishment and opportunities for creative activity. Finally, it would seek to build capacity within communities to enhance strengths, resources, and learning opportunities for individuals to lead mentally healthy lifestyles, particularly in communities where health inequalities are evident.
Creativity and the arts in the community can be a powerful conduit for positive mental health. Evidence of this approach has been recently documented by NHS England [1], when it noted the success of a community-based creative arts approach to strengthen the positive mental health of a target group of chronic pain sufferers. Participants reported many positive outcomes, including feeling less isolated, more confident and optimistic. This non-medicalised community-situated approach offers a promising hope for a tangible and sustainable response to the growing challenge of mental ill-health in our society. ‘Prevention is better than the cure’, says the old adage and it seems that creativity will be an important factor in any future prevention strategy.
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[1] https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/11/nhse-gloucestershire-ics-living-well-with-pain-programme-report.pdf









