Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health Practice

This book argues that some aspects of mental health practice have become mechanical, joyless and uninspiring, leading to a loss of creativity and wellbeing. A high level of wellbeing is essential to mental health and contemporary mental health care - and creativity is at the heart of this. A greater awareness of everyday creativity, the arts and creative approaches to mental health practice, learning and leadership can help us reinvent and reinvigorate mental health care. This, combined with a clearer understanding of the complex concept of wellbeing, can enable practitioners to adopt fresh perspectives and roles that can enrich their work. Creativity and wellbeing are fundamental to reducing occupational stress and promoting professional satisfaction. Introducing a new model of creative mental health care combined with recommendations for wellbeing, Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health Practice is a practical, evidence-based bookfor students, practitioners and researchers in mental health nursing and related disciplines.

Tony Gillam is Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Wolverhampton and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Worcester, UK. An award-winning mental health nurse, he is also a freelance writer and musician, has published numerous articles and is author of Reflections on Community Psychiatric Nursing.

1. Introduction: creativity, wellbeing and mental health.- 2. Understanding creativity.- 3. Creativity and mental health.- 4. Understanding wellbeing and mental health nursing.- 5. Applying creativity in practice.- 6. Music and mental health practice.- 7. Creative writing, literature, storytelling and mental health practice.- 8. Creative approaches to learning and leadership.- 9. Wellbeing and mental health nursing: implications for practice.- 10. Conclusions.