Creative Health Review - Mental Health & Wellbeing
An increasing number of people are living with mental health conditions, but many face barriers in accessing NHS services. With a new long-term government strategy planned to address these issues, this Creative Health Review theme looks at how creative health can be used to improve mental health and wellbeing.
The National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPG AHW) Creative Health Review Report notes:
Poor mental health already affects the quality of life of millions of people in the UK and the prevalence of mental health conditions is increasing. In addition to the human costs, this increase places pressure on a strained NHS and has a severe impact on productivity and public finances. It is therefore vital that resources are directed to the prevention of mental health conditions, and that people are better supported with management, treatment and recovery.
Creative health offers an alternative, non-medical approach to mental health, which has been shown to improve outcomes for individuals and systems, and reduce inequalities. Creative engagement can improve wellbeing and can prevent the onset of common mental health conditions. Embedded as a care pathway, it can be an acceptable, effective and cost-effective intervention, which offers people a person-centred and holistic way to manage and recover from poor mental health.
Creative and cultural opportunities should be considered vital elements of a mentally healthy society as well as an important part of the toolkit available to manage and treat mental health conditions. Creative health can be applied in communities, schools, workplaces and healthcare settings to tackle the current crisis in mental health.
Embedding it as part of a whole system approach, facilitated by a cross-departmental government strategy will maximise the benefits for individuals, communities and systems.
Download the full Mental Health and Wellbeing chapter here >>
Read the full Creative Health Review Report here >>
Explore our Mental Health and Wellbeing case studies:
Further information about the Creative Health Review
The Creative Health Review highlights the potential for creative health to help tackle pressing issues in health and social care and more widely, including health inequalities The Review has gathered evidence that shows the benefits of creative health in relation to major current challenges, and examples of where this is already working in practice.
Find out more about the Creative Health Review >>
Commissioner engagement
A panel of esteemed Commissioners with a wide breadth of expertise have helped translate the evidence from the Review into recommendations for policymakers, this included Monty Don OBE who has his own lived experience of depression.
Listen to the speech extract by Monty Don OBE at the Creative Health Review Report Launch >>
Monty Don OBE is the UK’s leading garden writer and broadcaster. He has been making television programmes for over thirty years and has been lead presenter of the BBC’s Gardeners’ World since 2003. A prolific horticultural journalist, Monty Don was the Observer’s gardening editor from 1994 until 2006. He now contributes a regular column for the Daily Mail and Gardeners’ World Magazine. Monty has written numerous books including bestsellers. Monty was president of the Soil Association for 10 years until 2018 and a FAO ambassador in 2020/21. He believes strongly in the value of communities of all kinds (schools, families, and rehabilitation projects) working together through an understanding and love of the land.
Mental Health & Wellbeing across the Life Course Roundtable
Central to the Review were a series of themed roundtables that were held between Autumn 2022 and Summer 2023. The Review has translated the findings from these Roundtable themes together with contributions into recommendations for policymakers to encourage and inform the development of a cross-governmental creative health strategy, which will support creative health to flourish and maximise its potential across key policy areas.
Watch the recording of Mental Health & Wellbeing across the Life Course roundtable here >>
Roundtable summary and overview >>
Listen to the lived-experience speech extracts from this roundtable:
Kiz Manley, Hip Hop Heals Founder, Tutor, Counsellor >>
Debs Teale, NCCH Trustee, Lived Experience Consultant/Facilitator >>
Mental Health & Wellbeing across the Life Course - Creative Response
The Review commissioned a range of artists with their own lived experience to respond creatively to each of the Review's roundtable themes. Sue Flowers responded to Mental Health & Wellbeing across the Life Course.
Sue's image evolved from a creative absorption of the content of the Review's first online webinar and Sue's own Lived Experience of supporting family members living with mental ill-health.
Explore Sue's Creative Response >>
