Stacey Gemma, Stickley Theodore
School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Duncan MacMillan House, Porchester Road, Mapperley, Nottingham NG2 6AA, UK.
Perspect Public Health. 2010 Mar;130(2):70-7. doi: 10.1177/1466424008094811.
This article reports upon a research study which explored the significance of art to people who use mental health services.
A narrative approach to data collection was chosen as the most appropriate method of gaining in-depth stories regarding the significance of art to the person. This involved the implementation of arts based workshops and in-depth individual follow-up interviews.
The study offers a contribution to the debate surrounding the most appropriate research methods for identifying the relationship between the arts and health. The findings give an indication of the unique and complex meaning attached to art. It is evident that creativity represents an integral aspect of the person's perception of themselves and that for many it is an essential component of the way they wish to live their life. The multiple benefits described by participants suggest the need for the development of creative resources within statutory mental health care, thus complementing medically based interventions.
A research approach that is creative and consistent with empowering and inclusive practice has been employed in this study. Furthermore, greater attention in research methods to the often neglected area of people's stories is advocated. Historically, in mental health care, people have felt oppressed by statutory service providers. Narrative approaches in research enable the person to become centre-stage, and, as a parallel to creative expression, the person is given a voice.
本文报告了一项研究，该研究探讨了艺术对使用心理健康服务的人的重要性。
选择叙事法收集数据，作为获取有关艺术对个人重要性的深入故事的最合适方法。这包括开展以艺术为基础的工作坊和深入的个人跟进访谈。
该研究为围绕确定艺术与健康之间关系的最合适研究方法的辩论做出了贡献。研究结果表明了艺术所具有的独特而复杂的意义。很明显，创造力是个人自我认知的一个不可或缺的方面，对许多人来说，它是他们希望的生活方式的一个重要组成部分。参与者描述的多种益处表明，在法定心理健康护理中需要开发创造性资源，从而补充基于医学的干预措施。
本研究采用了一种富有创造性且与赋权和包容性实践相一致的研究方法。此外，提倡在研究方法中更加关注人们故事这一经常被忽视的领域。从历史上看，在心理健康护理中，人们感到受到法定服务提供者的压迫。研究中的叙事方法使个人成为中心，并且，与创造性表达类似，个人有了发声的机会。
